One Thousand Memories
by Janiqua
Summary: Final Fantasy X2 Novelization. Living the life she never thought she'd have, Yuna searches for a dream, and seeks to bring peace to a grieving shadow who would otherwise destroy Spira. NOW COMPLETE! SPOILERS!
1. Real Emotion

**A/N:** Hey everyone! So this is my attempt at a FFX-2 novel. I hope my writing can do justice to the actual game and present a piece of prose that you will all enjoy and respond to. I'll do my absolute best to make it complete and as fulfilling as I found the game to be. Let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters or the plot line… (Sigh)

**ooooooo**

**One Thousand Memories**

**The Novelization of Final Fantasy X-2**

**ooooooo**

The Luca Stadium was alive that afternoon.

Normally famous for hosting the popular Blitzball tournaments, that day it was all for the concert. A great multitude from an extremely devoted population filled the stands as silver and gold lighting poured over the central, circular stage that resonated with a blue radiance.

Standing upon that stage was the object of all their affections. The beautiful, resplendent Summoner Lady Yuna herself.

The crowd screamed as her gaze swept over them and a small smile formed on her lips.

Elsewhere, in the corridor outside one of the grand stadium's box seats, a small, petite figure peered through the shadows. Not too far away from her, a large guard lay unconscious on the cool, smooth marble floor. Moving away from him, the figure of another woman was headed towards the great arch that led to the more accessible stadium entrance. She paused for a second and glanced back thoughtfully before she continued on into the arena.

The first figure smiled, and held up a small receiver to her lips. "Y, R, P, in position," she whispered into it, her voice soft, but high and filled with childlike exuberance. "It's showtime, girls."

The music in the stadium started, loud, strong, and vibrant. And the cheering from the audience, if it were even possible, amplified with it.

Yuna took a step forward, and without warning, great rippling ribbons of purple energy spiraled around her, dazzling the crowd. The Summoner held out her arms, and her body twirled. A moment later, the unexpected light swirled up into the sky and dissipated, leaving Yuna behind, dressed in an outfit the people had never before seen her wear.

The Summoner herself was a short and petite woman with dark, chestnut brown, layered hair that didn't pass her shoulders but for the one long strand that fell to her ankles, dressed in a long red band. She had pale skin, and a pleasant face that consisted of one blue eye and one green eye. She wore a blue sleeveless top that was trimmed with white lace, and a black miniskirt and brown boots. A wave of cloth that was also blue, but of a different shade, swept down over her left leg rather daintily. And on her forearms, black bands held on blue silken sleeves. In one hand, she held a microphone, and with her other, she made a sweeping gesture over her eyes before she began to sing.

"_What can I do for you? What can I do for you?"_

Her voice echoed throughout the stadium as her dance began. Backup singers appeared behind her, and in a matter of seconds, the performance had the entire audience captivated.

Even the small, petite girl from the shadows, as she crept into the box seat and pulled out binoculars to get a clearer view, found herself dancing slightly to the beat. Nevertheless, she did not fail to focus on her task. And as she watched Yuna, she couldn't help but notice the young star's eyes. They weren't _Yuna's_ eyes. They weren't blue and green. They couldn't fool Rikku.

For that was the girl's name. Rikku: an Al Bhed and cousin to the Lady Summoner. She was a pretty girl with tanned skin and lustrous blond hair she kept pulled out of her face and under a large purple headband. Some of it, however, was braided with beads in the Al Bhed manner. She wore a red scarf with both ends long enough to reach her feet, a yellow bikini top, and short brown shorts. A belt wrapped around her waist where she carried various Al Bhed supplies, and on her arms she had two white sleeves, while on her feet she wore blue and white boots. Such was her typical daily outfit.

Obviously it made her stand out.

Someone was behind her. Rikku could sense him, and she spun around in alarm to find herself staring up at another large security officer. And she knew right away that he wasn't fooled by her adorably cute and innocent smile. She was caught in a place where they both knew she wasn't supposed to be.

Rikku shrugged, and the guard came at her. She jumped to the left, using both her arms to block his swipes at her. The power coming from her tiny body caught the man off guard, and overcompensating, he stumbled backwards. She plowed an elbow into his gut, and then grabbed his arm with both her hands. Twisting around, she threw up her leg, kicking him off her, and he landed in a heap on the floor.

Back on the stage, Yuna kept singing and dancing, unaware that anything was out of the ordinary. "_Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart, I could see a place. It's something like this. Every now and then I don't know what to do; still, I know that I can never go back. And all the things I've seen in those hazy dreams can't compare to what I'm seeing now. Everything's so different that it brings me to my knees! And though I know the world of real emotion has surrounded me, I won't give into it. Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go. I hear your voice calling out to me: 'You'll never be alone.' What can I do for you?_"

Down in the stands below, the other woman from before, who always showed more prudence than Rikku, stood still in the shadows. She had a taller, even leaner figure than Rikku, and short brown hair with eyes such a shade of brown that they looked to be red. She had a delicate face, but always wore a no-nonsense expression that warned any foe she was no woman to be trifled with.

She dressed in black leather. Black leather pants, and a black leather top that left her shoulders completely bare – but for two red shoulder straps. She also wore a black band around her neck, as well as a silver chain that held a silver pendant. On her arms, she wore two black elbow gloves. In one hand, she held a large sword, ready for a fight.

The fight came in the way of another security officer. He lunged towards the woman, but she quickly dodged and retaliated with such a blow that landed him on the ground unconscious. Her name was Paine.

And even still, Yuna continued to sing and dance. "_I can hear you! And when I find the world of real emotion has surrounded me, and I can't go on, and you are there. The moment that I close my eyes, you comfort me. We are connected for all time, I'll never be… And though I know the world of real emotion has surrounded me, I won't give into it. Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go. I hear your voice calling out to me: 'You'll never be alone.' What can I do for you?_"

Paine walked up to a railing and slipped onto it. She slid the rest of the way down from the stands towards the central stage. When she touched down at the bottom, she found herself directly before her goal. There was a whistle behind her, and when Paine glanced over her shoulder she saw Rikku riding a large platform towards the stage. When it reached her, Paine jumped up onto it as well, and a moment later, they were both flying headfirst towards Yuna.

No. Not Yuna. Yuna's imposter.

Rikku was the first one off the platform. She scrambled angrily towards the other woman as Paine dismounted behind her with much more grace and a slightly less irritated countenance.

The imposter glanced at the two women in mild surprise.

"Hey!" Rikku pulled two daggers out from their sheaths on her belt. "Give it back already!"

The imposter rolled her eyes in a completely un-Yuna-like manner. "Boys!"

Almost immediately, two very differently shaped men climbed up onto the stage. One was tall, but scanty. The other was short and round. The first wore outlandish blue clothing. The second wore similarly peculiar purple gear. The first was named Logos. The second was named Ormi. And they were both key members of the LeBlanc Syndicate.

Rikku grimaced slightly at the sight of the two goons and backed up to stand closer to Paine. The woman was holding her sword aloft as the taller man, Logos, pulled out from his large sleeves two guns.

"Want in on this number?" Yuna's imposter demanded. "Then show me your moves."

Paine tilted her head at that statement. "Think you can keep up?"

Logos fired one shot at Paine, which caused the rest of the stadium to erupt in slight chaos. People were screaming.

Paine, however, merely somersaulted out of the way as Rikku vaulted into the air, flipping towards Logos. She landed directly in front of him, taking him completely by surprise. He started, and when she forcibly slammed her two fists into his gut, he stumbled backward, landing on his backside.

Ormi charged towards her, but Paine met him halfway, thrusting her sword at him. It didn't pierce through his armor, but it did cause him to go spinning – which was actually quite a comical sight. Paine smirked. "And here I could have danced all night."

She turned towards the imposter, who merely looked frustrated. She glowered at Paine. "Sorry. No time for an encore." And with that, she turned and fled from the stage.

In a matter of seconds, Logos and Ormi were after her, and whether their intentions were to watch their leader's back as they should, or merely attempt to regroup after this first encounter, was anyone's guess.

Paine glanced at Rikku, and could see the younger girl's aggravation. She charged after them, yelling "Hold still!" as she went. Paine rolled her eyes and followed.

There was no backstage in this stadium. The LeBlanc Syndicate had passed through the mass of panicking onlookers to make their way outside. It was more than a bit of a struggle for Paine and Rikku to follow, but before long they found themselves stumbling entirely outside the stadium and into a rather abandoned backstreet of Luca.

As Rikku glanced around, she could not find one sign of Yuna's imposter. She stomped her feet in childish frustration. "Ooh! They run too fast!"

Paine, however, had barely missed a step. "This way." She continued on farther down the street and Rikku could only hasten to keep up. But when they rounded a corner, even Paine was caught off guard.

Logos and Ormi had been waiting for them.

Ormi charged Rikku, powerfully body slamming into her. She screeched as the two of them landed heavily on the hard cement.

"Rikku!" Paine started towards her, only to find Logos standing directly in her path with a pistol aimed directly at her head. They were so close that Paine realized she wouldn't have time to dodge before he shot her down. She stopped short and stared at him in slight alarm.

Ormi rolled to his feet and towered over Rikku, who watched his every move while grimacing in pain. She wasn't able to get back up.

"You're too slow," Logos taunted as he moved to cock his pistol. Paine scowled, but there was nothing she could do. Yet.

For suddenly, shots were fired from behind – and they did not come from Logos's pistol.

The two men squealed, even as Paine and Rikku glanced over their shoulders to watch the third member of their party arrive.

It was Yuna – not an imposter, for that matter.

She was flying through the air, having jumped into a perfect springing flip, and now she dove towards them, holding a gun in each of her hands while firing at the present two Syndicate members' feet.

Logos and Ormi danced backwards, in an attempt to distance themselves from any wayward bullets.

Rikku and Paine took the opportunity to collect themselves: Rikku rolled back onto her feet, holding aloft her two daggers, while Paine backed up slightly, with her own blade firmly in hand.

Meanwhile, Yuna had landed squarely on her feet between them.

She was dressed in short blue shorts with three extra blue sheets that flowed in layers down beside her left leg. She wore a white top that had pink trim along its bottom edge, and a pink hood she kept lowered over her shoulders. On her upper arms, she wore two gold bands, and on her feet she wore two large boots. Around her waist, she wore a yellow belt that also served as a holster for her two handguns. Otherwise, she looked exactly like her imposter had – but for her eyes. Rikku was pleased to observe that _this_ Yuna's eyes were as they should be: one being blue, the other green.

And now that they were all together, Logos and Ormi realized they didn't stand much of a chance. They glanced at each other uncertainly, wondering what on Spira they were supposed to do now.

"That's quite enough sniveling, boys."

Logos and Ormi both spun around, even as Yuna and the others glanced beyond them to see the imposter approaching. She did not look pleased.

Crossing her arms, she glared specifically at Paine and Rikku. "Persistent, aren't you?"

Yuna holstered her guns and held out one hand. "My grid." Her voice had always presented an angelic timbre, but now it was also cold and firm.

And as if that were not enough, Rikku jumped forward to support her cousin. "You give us back Yunie's Garment Grid right now!"

The imposter made a face. "Didn't you girls ever learn to share?"

Yuna was getting angrier by the second. She took a frustrated step forward. "Give it back!"

"Very well," the imposter sighed. "It's yours." She held something up. It looked like a small glowing orb, which she then tossed towards Yuna. The Summoner caught it expertly, and glowing ribbons of light instantly surrounded each of the two women.

When the light faded, Yuna was standing in the Songstress Garment that her imposter had a moment before been wearing herself. And as for the imposter… she was a _completely_ different woman.

Leblanc.

Leader of the Leblanc Syndicate.

She was tall and very well poised, with short blond hair and a skimpy purple outfit that barely covered her body. It revealed much of her upper torso, where a red heart tattoo could be seen above her breasts. And in her hand, she held a large, powerful looking fan. She herself did not look any happier than she had when she had been wearing Yuna's face.

"I won't let you off so easily next time," she scowled, before turning and retreating with her two goons at her heels.

Rikku immediately started after them. "Get back here!"

But Paine had noticed something extremely unusual, and, turning round, she called Rikku back in a concerned voice that caught the Al Bhed girl's attention.

"Huh?" She turned, only to find herself staring at something that astounded her as much as it had Paine.

It was Yuna.

She was dancing in the middle of the street like neither of her two companions had ever seen her dance in all the time they had known her – except for when the imposter had been dancing at the concert earlier, but that didn't count.

And it wasn't even as if Yuna had never danced before. Rikku herself had, on more than one occasion, witnessed the Summoner dance the Sending – which was by itself a beautiful, if not horrible, spectacle. But _this_ wasn't _anything_ like that!

Yuna was dancing like some kind of pop star! She was hopping around, swinging her waist with her arms uplifted – it actually looked kind of fun. But it certainly wasn't Yuna.

"Ah…?" The Summoner herself was frightened by the way her body was moving. It was acting completely on its own accord! A moment ago, she hadn't been in _any_ mood to dance! Not after having her identity stolen the way it had been! But now… she had absolutely no control! And so she found herself dancing…

But then…

A wave of excitement poured over her. Yuna wasn't sure what she was excited about, but something huge was happening, and she felt that sensation people get when they experience something all too thrilling for the first time. And all she could do was give into it.

Laughing, she danced just awhile longer as real emotion swept around her. It felt good, and she enjoyed it, remaining completely oblivious to the looks of wonder passing between Paine and Rikku.

And in her heart, as she danced, she could hear the remnants of a song that had been sung in a far too distant memory.

_Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go.  
I hear your voice calling out to me.  
_"_You'll never be alone."_

_What can I do for you?  
What can I do for you?  
What can I do for you?_

_I can hear you…  
I can hear you…_


	2. On Board the Celsius

**ooooooo**

"You sure looked like you were enjoying yourself."

Rikku and Yuna were standing together in the cockpit of the Celsius – a bona fide Al Bhed airship. It was quite a piece of work, to be sure. The outside craft was huge and a brilliant red, with several thrusters at its stern and two large launch mechanisms that stretched out in front of it, both of which looked similarly like motorcycle wheels.

The cockpit was a relatively large one – it could hold, obviously, at least six people with _plenty_ of room to spare. At the front were the pilot and co-pilot's chairs, with one additional seat for the navigator. On the starboard side, there were several screens, computers, and other technological equipment that belonged to the young Al-Bhed prodigy, Shinra. He spent most of his time near that little side of the cockpit. And in the center was the large, glowing orb that basically powered the ship.

That particular room wasn't lit all that well, but cast reddish blue shadows in every corner. There was something comfortable about it, and though the entire airship, as big as it was, had become something of a second home to Yuna, she definitely favored spending her time up there, with the Al Bhed who were as close, or who were becoming as close, to her as family.

First and foremost, there were her two cousins – Rikku and Brother. The two of them were siblings, the children of the Al Bhed leader, Cid. Like Rikku, Brother had blonde hair, but he wore it in a mohawk. And unlike Rikku, he had a very, _very_ large figure. His dark eyes and rather coarse face, as well as several elaborate Al Bhed tattoos on his arms and chest, disguised his gentle but exuberant, childlike behavior. He dressed only in blue pants held up by suspenders.

The Celsius's navigator's name was Buddy, and he was also Al Bhed. He and Brother had been friends for a long time, and Yuna knew him to have been on board the old airship two years ago, during the fight against Sin – not that she had remembered him when she had recently joined on board the Celsius, a fact which had greatly seemed to disappoint him. But she would definitely remember him now that the two of them had had plenty of time to get to know each other. He was just as large a man as Brother was, though more collected. He had brown skin and surprisingly pale hair. He wore goggles over his eyes, and dressed completely in blue.

The aforementioned Shinra was indeed a child prodigy. As he always said whenever he came across something that was, amazingly, too much for his brilliant mind, he would constantly fall back on the phrase: "I'm just a kid." But that didn't take away from the fact that he was a genius.

Shinra was the boy behind the Garment Grid – or dresspheres – such as the grid Leblanc had stolen to take on Yuna's appearance. Dresspheres were orbs that allowed the wearers to change into the individual garments, dresses, or outfits that had been recorded into the individual grids. Yuna's Songstress Garment – the blue one Leblanc had worn at the concert – itself was supposedly made for someone else entirely, but Yuna could wear the dress because it had been recorded into the grid that she possessed. It was a clever little invention on Shinra's part, but apparently it had its flaws, because when Leblanc had stolen hers and used it, it had changed more than just her clothing.

Shinra was a small boy who dressed in a baggy brownish jumpsuit and who covered his face in a very old fashioned deep sea diving mask – which was very unusual for an Al Bhed, and which made him look something like a bug. It also distorted his voice, making him sound more mechanical than human. But all in all, it suited him just fine.

And all together, Brother, Buddy, Shinra, Rikku, Paine, and Yuna made up the Gullwings. They were professional sphere hunters, flying all over Spira looking for such recordings – officially to rediscover ancient history, and to uncover all the mysteries and secrets of the planet. Unofficially… there were more personal reasons for what they were doing. But Yuna was enjoying herself as she hadn't ever believed possible. Especially two years ago… during her struggle against Sin…

Presently, she was standing beside Rikku, dressed once again in her white, blue, pink Gunner dressphere. And together they were discussing her little dancing outburst from before.

She felt her face flush at the memory. "I was. It felt like some other person's excitement just took over."

Shinra spun around in his own large brown seat at the side of the cockpit. He had been listening to the two women's discussion, and interrupted. "That can happen when you use the Garment Grid. The emotions of the person recorded in the sphere pass to the user."

So whoever owned the Songstress Garment that was now recorded into Yuna's Garment Grid had been excited once while wearing the dress – and it was _her_ emotions that Yuna had been experiencing.

Rikku didn't particularly like that idea. She frowned. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Shinra shrugged. "I can't really say."

Buddy scoffed at that comment – for he had been listening to the conversation as well. In fact, _everyone_ in the cockpit was all ears to the discussion. "But it's _your_ invention."

"I'm just a kid."

Yuna grinned as Brother scrambled back towards them all, waving two large bulky arms up into the air.

"Dancing Yuna? I want to see!"

Rikku made a face even as Yuna chuckled: "It'll cost you."

Brother hesitated for an instant, but in the end, his affection for Yuna won out. He started going through his pockets. "One moment…"

Paine rolled her eyes, but when she spoke, her indifferent voice masked her exasperation. "She's kidding."

"What?" Brother looked up, highly disappointed. "No dance?"

Before anyone could respond, a quick but loud alarm went off, and everyone started in surprise. And Brother – whose first language was Al Bhed and not the common tongue – in his urgency, felt the need to switch over for better linguistic fluency.

He clumsily scrambled towards the pilot's chair. "Ehlusehk tydy! Gullwings, du ouin cdydeuhc!" Translation: Incoming data! Gullwings, to your stations!

Two years ago, Yuna reflected, as Rikku and Buddy both hastened to their chairs as well, Brother had been unable to speak anything _but_ Al Bhed. He told her once in the recent amount of time that she had been a part of their team, that he had learned her language so that he could talk to her more often. And he really was getting better at it.

As the Al Bhed worked to fly the Celsius, Yuna slowly made her way over to Paine, and stood by the woman quietly.

Paine herself was something of a mystery. Yuna didn't know her very well at all, but still respected her and thought of her as a friend. She certainly was a devoted sphere hunter; there wasn't any question about that. She had only joined the Gullwings a short while before Yuna had, and no one, not even Rikku, knew that much about her. She wasn't very talkative…

When the two of them had first been introduced, not at all that long ago, Yuna had been mildly surprised. Though the Summoner herself was easily the most famous woman in all of Spira, Paine had hardly seemed to care upon their introduction. She was always indifferent. And though it was obvious that she knew who Yuna was, Paine nevertheless, and courteously, allowed the Summoner her privacy, and in doing so, won her own privacy in return.

Paine never mentioned Yuna's legacy. How, two years ago, she, as a Summoner, had journeyed across Spira on a Pilgrimage with several Guardians – whom Rikku had been one of – in order to gather aeons in preparation for the Final Summoning. The Final Summoning that would destroy Sin – a terrible monster known to be Spira's suffering – in order to bring about the Calm. The Calm that would ultimately end with Sin's rebirth, so that the cycle of death could continue on for a new Summoner to pause. But it would never end.

Or it was _supposed_ to never end.

But Yuna, from the motivation of one certain and individual Guardian, had found the strength to defeat it once and for all. She destroyed Sin. She destroyed Yu Yevon. She ended the deadly cycle and brought about the Eternal Calm. And for that, she would be remembered and praised as long as history was recorded.

Therefore, Yuna couldn't deny how refreshing it had been to meet Paine. She had been, perhaps, the first person to ever have met Yuna for the first time, and not be overwhelmed by awe and admiration. She made Yuna feel like an ordinary girl, which was something the Summoner had been wanting ever since the Eternal Calm had altered her destiny.

For it was no secret… that with the Final Summoning… Yuna was supposed to have died…

But she lived. Because of _him_, she had lived. And now she was discovering exactly what it meant to have an actual future ahead of her. She could live a life of happiness and, what was even better, a life of possibilities. That was what _he_ had given her… before he had faded away…

But now things were even _more_ different! Yuna had seen a sphere of _him_! And she knew that she would give up all those possibilities she now had in her life if it meant finding _him_! Because what did her future matter if he wasn't in it? It didn't matter anything. Not to her, anyway. That was why she had joined the Gullwings. That was why she had run away from home and was now living this life of enjoyable adventure. Deep down, she was hoping to find him. If there was one sphere of him, there might be others. If she could find them, she might be able to see him again. And that was the only thing she wanted.

At that moment, Buddy turned around in his chair and looked at Paine and Yuna. "Analyzing this data could take awhile. You two might want to get some rest."

"Duu cmuf," Brother grumbled unhappily. He agreed with his friend that it was taking too long.

Buddy glared at him, not exactly approving his lack of patience. "Crid ib." Shut up.

Yuna smiled, and nodded. Turning, she headed out of the cockpit to explore the innermost sections of the Celsius. There were several corridors leading to several rooms. And the Gullwings weren't the only ones on board, either. The Celsius ferried around several kinds of people in its belly, mostly Al Bhed, but sometimes those from other origins – even those from completely different species!

Take Barkeep for example. That wasn't his real name, but because no one knew what his real name was, that was what he was called. And he was a Hypello. The Hypello were short, measly creatures with blue skin and bulging yellow eyes. They had oddly shaped faces – they looked like bizarre walking, talking insects! But they were at the same time very sweet and open-minded.

As Yuna entered the cabin, he was there behind the bar as he always was, ready to welcome her.

"Mish Yoona, what can I do for yoo?"

And yes. The Hypello had very peculiar accents.

"There's nothing just right now Barkeep," Yuna told him with a favoring smile. "I'm just gonna take a quick nap, okay?"

"Shleep tight," he told her as she climbed up a ladder that opened into a large loft. There were several beds there, and Yuna gratefully made her way over to the one she had claimed her first night on board the Celsius. And as she climbed onto it, she fell asleep almost instantly.

**ooooooo**


	3. Mt Gagazet

**ooooooo**

"Cbrana fyja yhymocec lusbmada!" Brother's voice sounded over the airship's intercom, waking Yuna from sleep. His words: Sphere wave analysis complete! "Gullwings, report to the bridge!"

Yuna sighed and sat up. For a moment, she didn't move, but just stared thoughtfully into space. Would this sphere… would it be the one that would give her some hint as to where to find _him_…? She hoped so.

Moving off her bed, she climbed down the ladder from the loft and made her way back to the ship's cockpit where the rest of the Gullwings were waiting for her. Buddy heard her come in first, and turned towards her in excitement.

"Treasure sphere waves!" he quickly informed her. "They're coming from those ruins they found at Gagazet!"

Yuna smiled enthusiastically. "All right." Rikku glanced over her shoulder towards her cousin with a like-minded grin.

Brother energetically punched the air above his head. "Haqd cdub: Gagazet!" Next stop: Gagazet.

The Celsius headed north, towards the famous mountain. As it did so, Yuna stood behind Rikku's co-pilot chair, thinking silent thoughts concerning so many memories.

Sacred Mt. Gagazet… Silent guardian of Zanarkand, city of the dead… And so much more, she reflected. For that had been _his_ city. Even now, two years later, she still thought about his home. Not the city that she had been to. Not the city where she had made a choice that changed the world as everyone had known it. Where she had decided to make the Calm Eternal. No. She thought about the city where _he_ had been raised. The Zanarkand that he had known. The Zanarkand that never slept… Those had been his words. Even now, she longed to see it.

But the Zanarkand of today… the Zanarkand Ruins… they weren't the only ruins of significance anymore.

After Sin had been defeated, the Fayth had disappeared. The Fayth were the souls of the living who had suffered long ago during a great war between Zanarkand and Bevelle. A war which Zanarkand had lost. The people of Zanarkand who had survived became the Fayth, and to preserve their home from complete destruction, they slept… and dreamt of it in their memories. _He_ had been a dream… and he had faded when the Fayth awoke.

Just as the clouds that used to enshroud Mt. Gagazet had faded when they awoke and disappeared. Thus revealing long-forgotten ruins among the mountain's peaks.

The Celsius was coming up on it already. It was quite the fast moving airship, and could cover great distances rather quickly.

Yuna gazed out the great ship's windshield, catching her breath as Gagazet came into view. The summit could already be seen. There were giant slabs of rock floating in the sky above it, and on their surface, great, fallen towers and other wrecked buildings had once stood gloriously. Yuna could hardly believe her eyes.

"Don't tell me we gotta climb up that thing," Rikku groaned. Yuna glanced at Paine, but as always, the woman had a look of indifference about her.

Buddy was shaking his head. "No worries. I'll take you to the top."

The Celsius rose so that it was hovering over the ruins. Together, Buddy and Brother gently brought it down over what had once been a great road winding into the city. The navigator glanced over towards the women and nodded his head.

Rikku immediately dove out of her chair. "Let's go!"

Yuna nodded her agreement, and the two of them raced out of the cockpit and down the corridors that led to the lower deck of the airship. Meanwhile, Paine followed at a more reasonable pace. When they reached the lower deck, together, they stepped onto the platform that rose up onto the airship's outer deck. From there, they jumped off the ship, landing solidly on the street outside in the ruins.

"Wow, I can barely breathe up here," Rikku grumbled as the three of them quickly gathered their bearings.

Yuna, hoping to get a better view of the city, walked a few yards inland – but the rock that the city had been built on had a small tear running through it. Nevertheless, it made quite the ledge, and when Yuna reached the edge of it, she could see for herself how far up they were in the air.

Paine turned towards the Summoner, and for a moment just watched her apprehensively, as if aware of the danger Yuna was in standing so close to that one edge. Rikku, however, was completely oblivious, being by far too dazzled by the sheer wonder of the ruins. She was taking it all in, up and down, with a large grin.

But suddenly Yuna went lightheaded, and her body felt both weak and faint. Perhaps it was the altitude, for Yuna wasn't easily unsettled, but it caused her to fall forward and off over the edge.

"Yuna!" Paine dove towards her, grabbing her wrist before she fell, plummeting to her death. Rikku spun around in horror, and all too quickly she was on her stomach at the other woman's side, reaching down to grab Yuna's other hand.

Brother's voice came over onto their receiver. "What's your status?"

Rikku didn't even glance up as she and Paine fought against gravity to pull Yuna back up. "Disasterrific!"

"'Disasterrific' is not a word!" Brother shouted back out over the receiver in scornful disapproval. "Say 'disastrous' like the rest of Spira!"

"I'm not listening…" Rikku grumbled through her teeth as she pulled with all her might to get Yuna back to safety. But her brother wasn't satisfied with that lack of a response.

"Rikku! Come in!"

Paine glanced at the Al Bhed in annoyance. "Want me to hurt him?"

Rikku nodded. "That'd be great!"

"Come in!"

At that moment, Yuna managed to get back her bearings, and biting her lip in stubborn determination, with Rikku and Paine's help, she managed to pull herself back up onto solid ground. The three of them then rested on their hands and knees, struggling to catch their breaths.

"Thanks…" Yuna glanced over at her two friends. "That was a little close."

Paine glared at her. "A _little_?"

"_Come in_!" Brother was shrieking frantically by that point.

Yuna glanced over towards Rikku's receiver with a smile. "We're here. Everything's fine now."

"Yuna," they heard Brother respond. "Keep an eye on Rikku!"

"What?"

Yuna's smile broadened. "You got it!"

"Hey!" Rikku sat up and planted her hands on her hips. She glared at Yuna. "You just _try_ and remember who the Guardian is here!"

"Come on," Paine interrupted. "Let's go." She was already on her feet and moving along the road farther into the ruins. Yuna nodded and hastened after her with Rikku at her heels.

They slowed their pace a little the deeper into the city they went. Rikku took the lead, holding up a small location device that would hopefully lead to any spheres inside the ruins. They walked past several buildings until the girl finally came to a stop outside of one. She glanced into it thoughtfully for a moment. It was definitely a wreck, as were all the other buildings in the city, and it probably wouldn't be all that safe going inside. Nothing about it looked _remotely_ stable. Rikku shrugged, and didn't miss another step, but walked right in.

Yuna glanced at Paine uncertainly, but the other woman hardly seemed to care, and entered right after the Al Bhed. So Yuna found that she was only able to follow.

It was dark inside, but not dark enough to leave them blind. Rikku followed the signal on her locator until they came to what looked like some kind of an old elevator.

The girls glanced at each other in mild surprise. It wasn't exactly what they had expected to find. Cautiously, Rikku lead them onto it.

On the wall of the inner elevator, Rikku and Yuna found themselves both looking at a machina panel. Machina. Al Bhed machines that once had been blamed for all of Spira's woes.

Yuna glanced at Rikku. "Think it still works?"

"Only one way to find out," Rikku replied, reaching forward and pushing one of the switches. The elevator slowly activated – the girls could feel it vibrating to life all around them. There was no telling when it had last been used, and when it started to descend, Yuna felt mildly uncomfortable by the whole situation.

She shifted her weight nervously. "I wonder how safe this is…"

As if to confirm her fears, the elevator suddenly shot downwards at terrifying speed. All three of them – with the possible exception of Paine – screamed and reached to grab onto whatever hold they could find. Nevertheless, when it abruptly stopped short at the bottom of the shaft, Rikku landed heavily on her butt.

"Owwie…"

Against all odds, the three of them were all more or less uninjured – Rikku might get a pretty bad bruise, but other than that, there was no lasting damage. It didn't matter, though. They rushed off the elevator as quickly as they could.

Rikku's receiver suddenly crackled to life, and Brother's voice could once again be heard. "What happened? Is Yuna okay?"

Yuna shook her head in mild amusement and winked at Rikku, who looked more than a little put off. "Things are… disasterrific."

"Disasterrific?" Horror could be heard in Brother's voice. "I am on my way!"

Rikku had crossed her arms, and there was a large pout on her face. "What about me?" Yunie got all the attention!

"Let's go," Paine suggested coolly. Yuna and Rikku nodded, and the Al Bhed girl once again took the lead, continuing to trace the sphere with her location device.

Eventually, they came to a broken down wall that led to another street outside. It looked like a backstreet that wound between several fallen buildings, heading towards the center of the city. The three girls climbed out and started down the alley.

They didn't make it very far, though, before something fell over with a crash behind them.

Ever on guard for such disturbances, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku quickly spun around to see what had happened as the Summoner called out: "Who's there?"

As they watched, alert and attentive, a tall, slightly ungraceful, figure stepped into the street from the wrecked building they themselves had just emerged from. And as she came, she gave them as haughty an answer as she could muster. "Er… Leblanc. Remember that name well, loves."

Yuna and her companions immediately recognized her. "Ah. The thief."

"Whatever do you mean?" Leblanc waved her fan irritably. "That's what I hate about amateurs."

Rikku discreetly stepped towards Yuna and tugged slightly on her arm. She spoke in a loud whisper. "Maybe she'll go away if we ignore her."

Leblanc slammed her fan shut against her leg, glaring at the Al Bhed in disgust. "You! I heard that!" She scoffed at each of them. "Just as I was saying: Amateurs! They have no concept of what it takes to be a true sphere hunter!"

"Amateurs?" Paine asked, crossing her arms. _She_ certainly was no amateur. "Weren't you following us?"

"Following?" Leblanc appeared to be offended by that, but then decided to just shrug it off. "A mere coincidence."

Yeah right.

At that moment, the rest of the Leblanc Syndicate appeared climbing out of the building and into the street behind her.

Ormi strutted towards her first, looking pleased with his fat self. "You were right, boss, as always!"

Logos nodded his agreement, even as Leblanc turned towards them in horror. "Indeed, following them has paid off splendidly."

"Ha!" Rikku pointed at them as Yuna chuckled. Even Paine allowed herself to smirk.

Leblanc turned back towards them with a flushed, angry face. "Laugh while you can! Boys!"

Logos and Ormi immediately rushed towards them, but the three girls were ready for that. As Ormi charged towards Rikku, the Al Bhed jumped into the air. Her right foot landed heavily on top of his head and she flipped over onto the ground behind him. Disoriented, Ormi stood dazed, and Rikku took the time to plant her foot powerfully against his back, sending him careening forward onto his hands and knees.

Logos pulled his pistol free and was about to fire it at Paine, but she sidestepped him, raising her blade up to catch his arm. He jerked out of the way, and Paine rushed forward, plowing her fist into his gut. He found himself sprawled out on the ground.

Yuna, meanwhile, held up her two handguns and aimed one at each of the two goons. She cocked them warningly.

Leblanc crossed her arms unhappily. "Hmph! And this is the thanks I get for going easy on you!" The girls glanced at her, but realized too late that she was suddenly holding a smoke bomb in her hands. She threw it at them, and when it went off, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku were all blanketed by the smoke. And even after it began to evaporate somewhat, they found themselves coughing and heaving from the suffocating smog.

"Hey…" Yuna coughed.

"Who does she think she is?" Rikku demanded, covering her mouth and nose.

"She's getting hurt…" Paine grumbled as she caught her breath. For _this_ particular sphere hunter did _not_ like being messed with in such a way.

The smoke cleared, and the Leblanc Syndicate had vanished. Big surprise.

"Let's go!" It was Rikku's turn to give the order, and a moment later, the three of them were sprinting down the street, hoping to catch up with their rivals.

It was a bright afternoon; the sun had been shining strongly all week. But atop that mountain, the air was thin and crisp, making them all somewhat flushed. But they continued towards the center of the ruin as quickly as they could. All the while, they saw no sign of the Syndicate.

And they wouldn't, until they reached their destination.

For when they finally caught up with the Syndicate, the three goons were standing outside what looked to be some kind of small temple. And in-between that temple and them, there was a hideous, gigantic fiend.

Yuna stopped short in surprise. "Aww…"

Rikku stomped her feet unhappily. "It figures we'd run into something like this!" Not that she hadn't ever battled a fiend before. In fact, she had battled _plenty_. Unfortunately for the Syndicate, it didn't look like they had quite the experience that Yuna and her Guardian had had.

The monster was a huge brownish yellow thing that resembled some kind of a giant, hairy spider. It was disgusting. And Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi were all slowly backing away from it.

Yuna glanced at Rikku and Paine. "Think we can handle it?"

Paine answered simply by drawing her sword, but Rikku was suddenly upbeat and enthusiastic.

"Of course we can!" she declared. "After all, we beat Sin, didn't we?" She pulled free her two daggers and rushed wildly towards the fiend.

"It comes," Paine noticed as it hurriedly met Rikku's attack. It slammed a huge sinewy leg towards her, but Rikku flipped out of the way, slashing a dagger across its skin.

The members of the Syndicate squealed and scurried out of the way as Paine charged after the Al Bhed. Yuna followed more gracefully, holding up each of her guns and firing at the creature's face.

It was screeching itself, unhappily. It threw its legs around, trying to swipe at them, but they all acrobatically avoided such attacks. Even in those moments where it tried to completely body slam or crush them with its weight, they kept out of its way, retaliating all the while.

Finally, Paine jumped towards a fallen wall and kicked off of it, spinning her body around to vault on top of the fiend's back. She landed firmly and hurriedly forced her blade straight down into the monster's back. It screeched furiously, but then burst into several bubbles of yellow streams of light. They had defeated it.

Paine found herself falling, but she landed solidly in a crouch, perfectly unharmed. Slowly she stood up and glanced towards Rikku and Yuna.

"Let's get that sphere!" Rikku was shouting happily, and without another thought, she sprinted towards the temple. Paine took a deep breath as the Summoner hastened to follow.

Inside, they found themselves walking towards a large pedestal on which a small glowing sphere rested in wait of them.

Yuna couldn't help but smile. "Found it!"

But before any of them could claim it for their own, they sensed three presences behind them. Turning, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine found themselves once again confronting Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi.

And though a moment ago the latter three had been completely terrified by the fiend, they now seemed to be once again in complete control. Leblanc even managed to look haughty, even though she had been beaten to the sphere by a bunch of "amateurs."

"Well it _is_ obvious to the trained eye," she informed them arrogantly. "That sphere's just a dud. Perfect for the _Dull_wings." She turned towards Logos and Ormi. "Let's go, boys. _That_ sphere's not worth our time."

"Yeah! Right!"

"If you say so, boss!"

The two of them hastened to follow her as she left the temple.

Rikku giggled triumphantly. "Youth wins again." Paine nodded her agreement. So much for the bunch of them being amateurs.

Yuna turned victoriously towards the pedestal. "Well, I guess we'll be taking this!" She picked up the sphere, and together, the three of them made their way out of the temple and back towards the Celsius. This time, they went a roundabout route, avoiding the use of anymore elevators.

Before long, however, they made it to the airship. Rikku held up her receiver. "Brother! Mission complete!"

"Brother?" Buddy's voice could be heard responding. He sounded slightly alarmed. "He's not with you?"

"Huh?" Rikku stopped short and glanced towards her two companions in confusion. "Come again?"

**ooooooo**

Some time later, the six Gullwings were gathered safely in the Celsius's cockpit. Or rather… some of them were safer than others.

Brother was lying sprawled out on the floor, looking completely and _utterly_ stunned – and quite possibly in extreme danger from his sister's wrath.

Buddy was staring apologetically at the young girl. "He said something about Yuna being in trouble… And then he just jumped ship."

Shinra was nodding from where he sat perched over the back of his chair. "And here he is."

Yuna watched in slight concern as Rikku crossed her arms unmercifully. "He's alive, right? Just leave him there."

Paine couldn't agree more. She walked towards Shinra and handed the boy the sphere Yuna had found. It was time to get down to business. "Can you analyze it?"

Shinra nodded. "I'm on it." He spun around on his chair and got to work with his various pieces of equipment.

Meanwhile, Yuna was kneeling down on the floor beside the sunken Brother. "Thank you." Unlike Rikku and Paine, _she_ was a lot more compassionate towards the well meaning Al Bhed.

Brother sat up happily, which caused Yuna to lean back slightly in order to keep an appropriate distance. "It was… It's nothing!"

"Don't strain yourself," Yuna suggested, sliding away as Brother reached over in an attempt to embrace her.

"A leader must be tough!" he was proclaiming all the while.

Rikku watched in disgust, her arms still crossed. She walked over towards him and kicked him away from Yuna. "Sicko!"

"Rikku…" Yuna shook her head slightly, but before she could say anything else, Shinra had turned around once again.

"Analysis complete," he told them, placing the sphere on the ground. "Wanna watch it?"

Rikku's countenance immediately brightened. "You bet I do!" She turned towards the sphere, the rest of the Gullwings following her example. Yuna herself remained on the floor, watching with great intent, and more than a little hopeful anticipation.

The sphere flashed, and suddenly an image rose above it. Both Yuna and Rikku immediately recognized it, for they had seen a similar image two years before, in the home of Seymour Guado.

It was an image of Zanarkand, in all its once glory. As _he_ had described it to her. Yuna caught her breath. Could _he_ be in it?

The image of the city zoomed in, so that it was only of one large street where two young men were loitering together. One of the two looked extremely elated.

"I can't believe I actually got a ticket!" he exclaimed. "What a thrill! To be able to shake her hand like that…" he shook his head, and the image blinked, and then disappeared.

Yuna sighed, swallowing her hope. So much for that.

The others could hardly repress their disappointment either. What a complete waste of time!

"Do you think it's worth anything?" Yuna asked delicately.

"It's not very exciting," Rikku grumbled.

"Junk," Paine added in agreement.

Shinra sighed and picked the sphere back up. "We'll just use it as a dressphere. It'll be fine."

Yuna nodded as the others reluctantly went back to work. Slowly she stood up as Buddy walked past Brother. He paused, and glanced down at his fallen friend.

"How long do you plan on lying there?" he demanded.

Brother turned his head towards the man and made a face. "Aqlica sa." Excuse me. But without another word he got up on his feet, and not a moment too soon, either.

For suddenly the alarm went off again, and both Buddy and Rikku regained their enthusiasm. Buddy turned towards his companions excitedly. "Incoming data! Gullwings, to your stations!"

**ooooooo**


	4. Going Home

**ooooooo**

"What is it?" Yuna asked, taking a few eager steps towards Buddy. Maybe this day wouldn't be such a waste after all.

The Al Bhed navigator was facing the data readings intently as she asked this, and apparently he could analyze them a lot quicker this time round. He was able to reply immediately, though without turning away from the screen. "The treasure sphere data you've been dying for."

This remark caused Paine to glace towards the Summoner with a frown. Of course it was no secret that Yuna was eager to find spheres. But _dying_ for them? An exaggeration of course, but still… An _over_ exaggeration, maybe.

Paine still had no idea exactly what it was that Yuna was looking for.

As they had no idea what _she_ was looking for.

"There's at least one on Besaid Island," Buddy stated slowly as he interpreted what was written on his screen. "And another… in… the Zanarkand Ruins." He sat back in his chair, turning towards Yuna with a satisfied smile.

But as he had related that information, Yuna had slowly backed away, an ever increasing frown on her lips. Besaid Island…? or the Zanarkand Ruins…? Two places she did _not_ want to journey towards. There were too many circumstances for one… and too many memories for the other…

No one but Rikku seemed to understand. She glanced back at her cousin with sympathy drawn on her face. "So, where to?" Even then, she managed to keep her voice light – for the others' sakes.

Yuna smiled thoughtfully. She was good at that. Smiling when she wasn't pleased. Or sounding cheerful when she spoke, despite inner grief. "Let's check out Besaid first!"

Paine had her arms crossed. "Zanarkand's closer."

Yuna and Rikku both glanced at her in surprise, and Rikku hurriedly jumped to her cousin's defense. "It doesn't make any difference in the Celsius. We've got the fastest airship in all of Spira! We can get to Besaid and back here again in a heartbeat!"

Paine narrowed her eyes. She really didn't have the time to be flying back and forth like that, but she didn't reply. She merely turned her head and looked away in aggravation.

"Besides," Yuna added sheepishly. "I haven't been to Besaid since I joined the Gullwings. I really should return home and let them all know I'm okay."

"That sounds like a good plan!" Brother exclaimed enthusiastically. He grabbed the ship's steering handles and turned her completely around.

The Celsius began flying south.

**ooooooo**

Besaid Island was the most beautiful tropical paradise in all of Spira. The water there was pure and turquoise, and the palm trees simply seemed to grow without end. The sand was fresh and white and felt so soft when you walked through it barefoot. Further inland, it became like a jungle, and the life and beauty of the place made everything look clean and gentle.

There were always birds singing in the trees, creating music that matched the fresh waterfalls and streaming rivers.

And though there were fiends on the island as there were fiends inevitably anywhere you went, they were hardly anything more than a mere annoyance on Besaid. Something like mosquitoes.

The island was a peaceful home. It was a place where children could be raised in secure, comfortable happiness. Yuna knew that better than anyone. She had grown up there, with her dear, _dear_ friends, Wakka and Lulu, after her father's death twelve years ago. Before that, she had lived in Bevelle, but the great city would _never_ be a home to her like the island was. It couldn't be. There was no question about that.

Presently, Yuna was standing on top of a great hill beside Rikku and Paine. Below, the village lay in wait, calm and tranquil as she had known it would be the moment she had made the decision to return. And as for the feeling in her stomach… well… _that_ had been expected, too.

Though Rikku was watching the Summoner with uncharacteristic patience, Paine was feeling slightly apathetic. Unconsciously, her foot dug impatiently into the ground.

Yuna noticed and glanced at her apologetically. "I'm a little nervous."

"I bet!" Rikku perked right up as Paine glanced towards her indifferently. "The way you took off without a word!"

"Yeah, you said it."

Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all turned to watch a huge, bulky man who wore baggy orange pants and boots, as well as a small orange plate over his chest and pads on his arms approach them. He had deeply tanned skin, and a blue headband over his bright red hair – hair that was gelled into an upward tip, no less. He had a lopsided grin on his face as he gazed at both Yuna and, ironically, Rikku, with extreme fondness.

He then focused on Yuna. "You caused quite a fuss, young lady."

"I'm sorry," Yuna said, blushing. And it was _extremely_ obvious that she was sincere. _Painfully_ sincere. She glanced down, causing the newcomer, despite everything, to feel somewhat bad for upsetting her.

"Well, as long as you're okay, ya?" He shrugged, his accent increasingly palpable. And then, to get some of the pressure off his little-sister-at-heart, he turned towards Rikku. "Might've known she'd show up with you, though. Wouldn't be the first time an Al Bhed had kidnapped a Summoner, ya?"

"_Wakka_!" Rikku crossed her arms indignantly. "Cut it out already!"

Wakka grinned, and then glanced towards Paine uncertainly. "Your friend?"

"Oh!" Yuna stepped forward, motioning towards the sphere hunter. "Yes. This is Paine." She hesitated as the woman watched her, then turned back towards Wakka with a half smile. "We're looking for spheres together."

"Huh," Wakka scratched his head as Paine nodded in his direction, but spoke not a word. He meant to be polite, but then another thought crossed his mind and it took immediate precedence. "Yeah, so you're a sphere hunter, now. I heard the rumors."

Yuna started at that remark. There were rumors? Already?

Wakka was grinning again. "To tell you the truth, I wasn't too worried. Gotta say, though…" He stared at her for a moment, as if confirming an earlier observation. He nodded. "You, uh, do seem pretty different."

Yuna felt her face flush again, and she glanced down, taking herself in from another's perspective. Two years ago, and even in the time since then, before she had teamed up with Rikku and the Gullwings… she had been the epitome of a perfect lady. A princess, one might even go so far as to say.

But now… here she was, running around in Gunner clothes, searching for spheres and having a grand old time with her friends. It was extremely hard to recognize herself as the woman she had been before.

And yet… she was happy with the changes she had made in her life. So much so that she could look up at Wakka and smile genuinely.

Rikku shook her head and walked towards the old Guardian with a smile. He watched her apprehensively, but even still, he wasn't able to get out of her way as she suddenly dove towards him in order to teasingly elbow his stomach.

"You haven't changed a bit, tubby!"

"Whoa, hey!" He objected, shoving her back as he tried to get away. "Cut it out, ya? I'm going to be a father soon!"

Rikku backed off at that comment and stared at him with wonder in her eyes. She had known this, but it would never cease to amaze her. Wakka… a father… it was too astounding!

He held himself up proudly. "Got to have a little more presence, you know?"

Yuna jumped forward eagerly. "How much longer?"

Wakka hesitated, glancing at her uncertainly. "Any day now?" This was, most _definitely_, a new experience for him.

"Wakka… a daddy…" Rikku practically had stars shining out of her wide, wide eyes.

He seemed to revel in it for a moment, but then, upon further consideration, seemed to shrink a little. "To tell the truth, I sure don't feel like one. I mean, how do I know how a father's supposed to act in front of his kid?"

"Why not just do what your parents did?" Rikku immediately suggested, always trying to be ever helpful, even when she probably should have just stayed quiet.

Yuna bit her lip and glanced towards her older Guardian sympathetically, wondering slightly how he'd react to _that_ innocent advice.

To her relief, he responded very maturely. "Don't remember 'em." His tone was matter-of-fact. After all, Rikku hadn't known. "Sin saw to that when I was still little."

Paine tilted her head slightly. She wasn't surprised, though. That was the case with far too many of Spira's denizens.

Yuna, however, suddenly had a thought, and she glanced delicately at Wakka. "You don't have any spheres of them?"

"Nope," Wakka shook his head. "Not a single-" He stopped short, a look of stunned recollection sweeping over him.

Rikku frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"

Starting, he turned towards her, shaking his head a _little_ too hurriedly. "N-nothing. Nothing." Regaining his composure as best he could, he glanced once more towards a rather curious Summoner. "Anyway, do me a favor and go say hi to Lu. She's been worried about you."

Yuna bit her lip. "Wakka-"

He interrupted, quickly and sternly. "Get going!"

Before any of them could object, the older Guardian, the Captain of the Besaid Aurochs, Wakka, turned and hastened back the way he had come from the tree line. All Yuna, Rikku, and Paine could do in response to that hasty retreat was glance at each other in concerned bafflement.

**ooooooo**

Down near the edge of the village of Besaid, there was one certain and violet tent that stood slightly apart from the other tents and buildings of the town. Far from the Temple, and _by_ far smaller, it was, nevertheless, a comfortable, respectable home that seemed to glow and welcome even strangers into it.

The tent flap was open, allowing the bright, warm sun to shine inside, but without eradicating any of the shade that kept it gentle and cool.

Sitting inside, upon a large black cushion meant to keep her comfortable and at ease, a certain woman was quietly reading from a book while enjoying as much of the afternoon as she was reasonable allowed. For she was expecting a child, and had been ordered to remain as such.

Normally tall and tremendously slight, she had gained a great deal of weight in the past few months – which was normal. She was still bedecked in a black dress that showed off her shoulders with a fur trim. There was a purple beaded necklace around her throat, as well as a red beaded one, and beaded pearls. Her hair was, for the most part, pulled back before it flowed down in four small braids. But part of it swept over the right half of her face.

She was a well poised woman, and even in her present condition, her posture spoke of regality. She was a black mage, and by all means extraordinary.

"Welcome back," she said, looking up from her book to watch as the one woman she considered to be a sister walked, rather self-consciously, inside.

"Hi, Lulu," Yuna said, shame-facedly. She now knew what a runaway felt like when returning home. She had rarely ever felt this embarrassed before in her life.

But of course… Rikku was right behind her and eager to make light of the entire situation. "So tell us about the baby! It's gonna be born soon, right?"

Lulu glanced at the Al Bhed girl in composed amusement – the very essence of what Rikku had always endeavored, and always failed, to show in herself. "Em, not yet. Wakka's getting a little ahead of himself."

Paine, who was standing a little further back by the tent flap – not quite feeling comfortable entering a stranger's home – frowned. _This_ was the woman bearing _that guy's_ child? A wave of envy swept through her, though she hid it from expression. The couple really must have found love, if a woman like _her_ was willing to be with a man like _him_. Not everyone was fortunate enough to experience that. Paine herself never would have guessed, and she respected Lulu for it.

"Aw," Rikku, however, had been used to the idea for awhile now – for she had been even _more_ surprised by it when she had found out herself. Wakka and Lulu… _Together_? Who'd have thought? But now, all that had been replaced by her characteristic enthusiasm. "Bummer."

Lulu smiled, gracefully rising to her feet. "So, care to go for a little walk?"

The idea appealed to Paine, but Yuna hesitated in concern. "Can you?"

Lulu walked towards Yuna and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I could use the exercise. Come on." She continued on past the Summoner and the Al Bhed girl, pausing only when she came to Paine. The two women silently acknowledged each other, and then Lulu went on, not speaking a word.

The three friends walked side by side through the town for awhile, with Paine trailing not too far behind, but not too close, either. She didn't want to be swept up by the mass of people who would every now and then approach Yuna with great joy and laughter – some people even welcomed her with tears in their eyes!

It was all very emotional for the Summoner. For Paine, however, it was just a waste of time. But she didn't complain. A part of her recognized how Yuna belonged in such limelight, and wondered silently what that must feel like for her. And she was glad she didn't share it. It was no wonder Yuna had run away.

Eventually, though, they left the town and made their way back up the hill where they had earlier met with Wakka. Now, however, there was no sign of him.

Lulu turned towards Yuna with a sigh. "Now, what's so important that you'd run off without telling us?"

Yuna stopped short, catching her breath.

Though she had known all along that she would be asked to explain herself, she was more than a little reluctant to do so. A part of her still wondered if all this was just a dream – and could fade away as quickly as the Fayth's dreams had. She didn't want it to.

But then… This was Lulu. It would be all right.

"This," Yuna said, pulling a sphere from her belt. Ever since she had first laid eyes on it, she had kept it with her, refusing to part with it for any reason. Now, however, she managed to hand it over to a curious Lulu.

Rikku and Paine both watched intently as Lulu delicately powered it up. A holographic image suddenly materialized, hovering seemingly above the Guardian's very hand. Lulu frowned.

Rikku herself had seen the image before, but it was still as much of an interest to her as it was to Paine, who could not say the same thing herself.

Paine had not been present when Rikku had given the sphere to Yuna. And as far as the hunter knew, Yuna had only played the sphere once. Paine was aware that the person in the sphere was why the Summoner had joined the Gullwings, but she knew no more than that. And despite everything – despite her very stubborn self! Paine was curious.

The image was an old one – and a _terrible_ one at that. It was dark and the man projected by it was barely visible. As it was, his face could not be made out. He seemed to be trapped inside a small cage, possibly underwater. And when he spoke, the quality was somewhat distorted; but at the sound of his voice, Paine could clearly see a look of wonder cross Lulu's face.

Yuna, however, had turned from the sphere as soon as it had begun playing. She had heard it before, and now she wanted to drown it out. She closed her ears to the sound of him objecting his arrest, and pleading release.

_"If she were your girl, what would you do? … … It was the only way to save the Summoner!"_

Everything about the recording reminded Yuna of him. Except that… There was a quality about him… a ferocity… something in his tone… that she didn't recognize. And it hurt her to think about it.

Paine frowned as the image clicked off. _This_ was the person Yuna was looking for? Who was he? How did Yuna know him? How did _Lulu_ know him, for that matter? For as the hunter watched the Guardian, Paine could tell that she was the only one there who didn't fully comprehend the significance of what they had all seen from that sphere.

"Kimahri said he found it on Mt. Gagazet," Rikku said, referring to the large Ronso warrior who had been Yuna's very first Guardian.

Lulu nodded. "Wakka told me about it." She handed it towards Yuna, who had by that point turned back, and unhappily accepted it. And as she placed it back on her belt, Lulu watched her sympathetically. "It does look like him. Though something seems a little off."

Yuna looked at her sharply. So she had noticed, too?

Rikku frowned. "What-?"

"Have you found anything else?" Lulu stepped over the Al Bhed, and Yuna gratefully shook her head.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "But there's still lots of places we haven't looked yet."

Lulu nodded again, and abruptly changed the subject. "It must be fun, being free to go where you please."

"It is fun," Yuna perked right up at this offered opening. "I never expected a journey quite like this."

And that was God's honest truth. Two years ago, Yuna had gone on a very different journey. She had expected to die at the end of it. And now… what a difference!

"I'm not there," Lulu observed. "So you can spread your wings."

Yuna shook her head, objecting, but then just shrugged. "Maybe."

"You _have_ spread you wings," Lulu nodded firmly. She turned then, and slowly headed back towards the village. Her three companions made to follow her once again, but then Lulu stopped abruptly, and looked back at Yuna with a grave expression on her face. "But, Yuna, you mustn't ever forget who you are."

Yuna gazed at Lulu steadily, but didn't answer. She tilted her head, though, in slight confusion. Rikku and Paine both stood back a ways, recognizing, as Yuna had, Lulu's solemnity.

"Only one Guardian travels with you now, Yuna," Lulu reminded her, glancing pointedly at Rikku. "And you once had so many." Six, in fact. Her first being Kimahri, her last being Rikku. In between, there had been Lulu and Wakka, Sir Auron, and… the one Guardian who was _always_ on Yuna's mind. Lulu went on: "But you are still as much the High Summoner who defeated Sin as you were two years ago. Your journey, as exciting as it is, doesn't change who you are. Being a sphere hunter and spreading your wings won't deter those who would use that for their own advantage."

"I'll be all right," Yuna quietly assured her as Paine watched silently.

It was true, the hunter thought. She herself had considered that on more than one occasion. She had just never bothered to bring it up in conversation before. And for this, Paine's respect for Lulu only continued to increase. She wondered if she'd ever be able to openly discuss such things with Yuna. For now, though… it was still too much of a wonder being able to travel with her at all… even though she'd _never_ openly admit that.

Lulu's words, however, were all too true. They all knew it. And had known it all along.

Yuna herself remembered all too well what it had been like to be used by Seymour Guado two years ago. In order to protect her friends during a chance to Send a murderer, she had actually consented to marry him! And that feeling of being manipulated and exploited… it didn't just go away. It had sickened her and disgusted her… But she had somehow managed to get past that. And she wouldn't be that easy to read or control ever again.

"I won't let myself be used anymore," she told Lulu. "Not by anyone." Ever. Again.

After all… hadn't _he_ taught her what it was to make one's own destiny?

Her answer satisfied Lulu, who was about to respond when she suddenly gasped faintly. Both her hands fell to her abdomen, and she looked down with a slight smile.

Yuna frowned. "What is it?"

Lulu glanced up at her, and when she spoke, there was laughter in her voice. "It kicked."

"Really?" Yuna's eyes widened even as Rikku jumped forward.

"I wanna feel!"

And feel she did.

That was how it was. The four of them returned to the village, their thoughts focused entirely on Lulu and Wakka's baby.

The time of being used and hurt had long since passed. Now, they could look on into the future – a future where their children would grow up without fear of a monster like Sin. That was what Yuna had fought for. That was what she had achieved.

And they all believed that. That Spira's suffering was over.

But was it?

For none of them could yet predict the trouble that was waiting ahead.

**ooooooo**


	5. Wakka's Uncertainty

**ooooooo**

Yuna woke up early the next morning to the familiar sounds of the birds outside Lulu's tent. There had always been a certain atmosphere about Besaid Island, especially in the morning, that she had missed since her journey had begun. Now, she rolled over in her bedroll with a contented sigh, and felt that she could lie there forever.

Yeah, that was what she would do… She had no obligations anymore. She didn't have to be anywhere. She could remain in such peace forever.

But then… it _was_ kind of lonely, wasn't it? Or rather it _would_ be, after awhile.

Someone else was awake inside the tent. Paine and Rikku had both slept in their own bedrolls apart from the Summoner, and when she glanced towards them, she could clearly see that Rikku was still unconscious. Paine, however, was lying on her back with her arms folded behind her head, staring up at the tent's ceiling. And yet, she wasn't the one who had caught Yuna's attention.

Sitting up, she watched Lulu as the pregnant Guardian stood stiffly by the tent flap, staring outside. However, when she sensed Yuna, she turned and glanced down at the younger woman. "Good morning."

Rikku jerked awake as Yuna smiled and stretched. "It feels nice starting the day like this." She glanced around the tent, suddenly frowning. "Where's Wakka?"

He had come home the night before, shortly after Lulu had invited them into her home for as long as they remained in Besaid. He had seemed pleased by the idea, but, now, upon further consideration, he _had_ seemed somewhat distracted as well.

Concern filled up in Lulu's eyes, and she glanced back outside. "He left at daybreak. He said something about a cave."

"A cave?" Rikku asked, even as Yuna cocked her head. The Al Bhed crossed her arms condescendingly. "I wonder what he's up to."

"Want us to go find out?" Yuna offered.

"Yeah!" Rikku nodded agreeably, and Paine wondered how on Spira _anyone_ could be _that_ enthusiastic this early in the morning. "There might be fiends!"

"Thanks," Lulu said, though she did glance at Rikku, somewhat offended. "I doubt he'd have trouble handling a few fiends." The Al Bhed turned a bright red at that remark, but even then, Lulu looked away with a sigh. "Still. I'm a little worried. It's not like Wakka to hide things."

Yuna stood up thoughtfully, even as Paine stood up impatiently. But Yuna wasn't in any hurry. She glanced towards Lulu. "That's funny. I don't remember there being any caves."

Lulu nodded in agreement, still gazing outside. "I don't know much about it either." She looked back. "Would you mind searching?"

Yuna walked towards her, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Lulu. We're on the case."

**ooooooo**

As the sun began to rise, promising another gorgeous day, the three Gullwings stood in the midst of the village, wondering where to go from there. Yuna certainly had no idea where to even _begin_ looking for a cave, and Rikku and Paine, who had very little, if no, memories whatsoever of that island, weren't much better off.

"Do you think we should ask around?" Rikku wondered, spinning on her heel to look back at Yuna and Paine in slight frustration.

"Why bother?" Paine demanded. For though she wasn't much better off searching for a cave than Yuna was on that particular island, the woman _did_ have more of an idea of where to begin than the Summoner had. "My bet is that you already have everything we need to find him, Rikku."

Both girls frowned and glanced at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Yuna looked back and asked: "What do you mean?"

"I mean," the experienced sphere hunter began. "That good places to find old spheres are in caves. And yesterday, when you asked your friend about any spheres of his parents, he did seem somewhat anxious, didn't he?"

Once again, both girls glanced at each other, but this time, in appreciative amazement. For that _had_ been the case, hadn't it!

"Wow!" Rikku looked back at Paine, thrilled beyond reason. "You really are good at this, aren't you?"

Paine crossed her arms and looked away impatiently. She didn't want to seem like she cared about Rikku's compliments at all.

Animatedly, Rikku pulled her sphere location device from her belt and turned it on, as well as her receiver that connected them with the Celsius. Almost immediately, Brother responded to that connection.

"Any trouble?" his voice could be heard from Rikku's small communicator.

And Yuna couldn't help but feel somewhat impressed that he was awake this early in the morning. She smiled. "We're fine. How about you guys?"

"Ah…" Brother's voice had a strange musical quality to it. "My heart… is aching…"

"Huh?" Yuna frowned, even as Rikku rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Buddy," she grumbled under her breath. "Shut him up."

"Ah, it's nothing!" Brother quickly replied, sounding somewhat frantic. Immediately, the connection between the two died down for the moment.

"Come on," Paine advised. "We've a sphere to find."

"Right!" Rikku agreed, looking back to her sphere locator. "It's this way!" she started at a jog towards the edge of town, and Yuna and Paine both eagerly followed.

They made their way out of the village and farther inland. The palm trees shot up around them, and what with the thick undergrowth they had to tromp through, it reminded them all more and more of a thick, dense jungle.

There was no wonder Yuna had never found such a cave before, she thought in excitement as she sensed some impending discovery. Very few would ever take the time of day to explore any of it at all. Which bothered her, slightly. Wakka himself was _hardly_ one of those few…

"Wow…" Rikku complained, biting her lip. "Who, in all of Spira, would ever hide a sphere out here?"

"That's a question you could ask about spheres _anywhere_," Paine grumbled irritably.

Yuna nodded as another transmission reached Rikku's receiver.

"Man," she grumbled, pulling it into her hand and tossing it towards the Summoner. "I can't deal with Brother _and_ track down this sphere. No way."

Yuna grinned and held up the receiver. "Yuna here."

There was a little bit of static in response, but nothing more than that. Yuna frowned, and looked down at the small device wonderingly. "That was weird."

Buddy's voice suddenly sounded, and frantic, at that. "It's nothing!" The connection broke.

Rikku stopped and turned, glowering at the device in Yuna's hand, despite everything, being unable to ignore it after all. "Makes you wonder what those buffoons are up to when we're not around, doesn't it?"

"Are we almost there?" Paine snapped.

"Yeah!" Rikku whirled around and continued on deeper into the jungle. Before long, she was digging her way through a dense mass of undergrowth that had, encouragingly, already been greatly disturbed. And beyond the shrubs, the sphere hunters were pleased to find what was, indeed, a moderately sized cavern.

"I told you we'd find it!" Rikku grinned as she stumbled into darkness. Yuna, and even Paine, agreed as they followed with more grace.

The cavern was terrible lit, and somewhat colder and damper than it had been outside beneath the sun. Yuna thought it was refreshing, even as she took it all in in fascination.

This cave… she waited for her eyes to adjust, wondering at how it could have been here all along without her ever realizing it. When was the last time a human had ever stood there, as she was now? And who had it been?

Wakka, apparently, for he suddenly stepped out of the darkness with a rather surprised countenance about him. "Rikku!"

"Hiya!" the Al Bhed girl turned towards him with a smile barely perceptible in the dark, cavernous corridor.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, looking from Rikku to Yuna, and then finally to Paine, before looking back at Rikku again, slightly aghast. He scratched his head. "And, uh, how'd you find this place?"

"We just left it all up to my handy machina," Rikku boasted cheerfully.

"We came to check on you," Yuna added courteously. He glanced at her, obviously not quite pleased.

"What for?" he asked. "Something wrong?"

"Um, Wakka," Rikku stepped past him and stared into the darkness that grew thicker and even more ominous the farther in she looked. She glanced back over her shoulder inquisitively. "Is there something in this cave?"

"Uh, yeah…" Wakka looked uncertain, and even more reluctant. "Something like that." He glanced away with a shrug before going into a small babble. "Who knows? Maybe it's not here, ya? But I thought… 'What if…?' Maybe it _is_ for real. Then again, maybe it never was. Been so long, I'm not sure anymore."

Rikku tilted her head, fondly.

But Paine wasn't in the mood. "So, you're saying there's something that might be here, and you want to know for sure, right?"

"Right," Wakka seemed satisfied with that explanation. For the moment. He shrugged again. "But you see… I wanna know… and then… I sorta don't wanna know."

"Aw, man," Rikku shook her head. "Make up your mind! What is this thing, anyway? Is it the sphere?"

Wakka stared at her in surprise. "How'd you know that?"

"What's it of?" Rikku demanded, refusing to answer his question. And Wakka, thankfully, didn't demand an explanation. He just looked uncomfortable.

"It's of… well… you know…" he looked down. "What does it matter?"

Paine held back a frustrated gripe and started past the two Guardians. Yuna watched her solemnly as a look of protest formed on Wakka's face.

"Hey!"

Paine didn't miss a beat. "We're sphere hunters, remember?"

"Right!" Rikku plunged into the darkness after her, fumbling with her belt to find a machina light. She used it to brighten the path ahead of them. "It's as good as ours!"

Yuna forced herself to agree, but more for Wakka's sake. It was better not to be seen as overly sympathetic. Or at least that had always been Rikku's policy. Besides… a sphere on Besaid Island… there were so many possibilities! "All right, Gullwings!" She hastened after Paine.

Wakka watched them go wonderingly. "The Gullwings, huh…" He sighed and shook his head, unable to not feel happy for the young Summoner.

Deeper inside the cavern, the corridor began to open up into a type of chamber. Rikku slowed to a walk as she entered it with Paine and Yuna.

None of them were strangers to dark caves. Not by a _long_ shot.

Nevertheless, Paine hesitated as Rikku and Yuna continued forward. In the past two years she had grown to loathe caves just about as much as anyone had ever loathed Sin. She tried to avoid them as much as possible, but this time she had thought… maybe in Yuna and Rikku's company, things would be different.

It wasn't the case. A brush of familiarity swept through her, causing her heart to race and her breath to get caught in her throat.

In her mind, she could hear a frightened voice… as if it spoke aloud in the very chamber with them. _"Guys! Where are you?"_

Paine closed her crimson shaded eyes, her body grown stiff.

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked, turning around to look at her in perplexity.

Paine swallowed, opening her eyes, and nodded. "Fine." She started forward, banishing all thoughts of her past as best she could.

Deeper in the chamber, they came to a pedestal on which there was, indeed, a tiny glowing sphere. Yuna picked it up with a smile. "One more for the Gullwings." This was her life now, she thought casually. Searching for and recovering spheres. For the history of Spira. It never ceased to amaze her.

"Let's get back to Wakka," Rikku suggested, and the three of them headed back.

Wakka remained where he had met them at the cavern's entrance. Already Paine felt her body cool down and relax as the sun's warmth could be sensed outside. Once again, the cavern's antechamber brought her both physical and mental relief.

Wakka glanced up at them from where he sat on the ground. "Find anything?"

"We sure did!" Rikku exclaimed as Yuna handed him the sphere.

"Let's take a look," she suggested.

Wakka nodded, placing it on the ground and turning it on. As soon as his task was done, however, he leaned away from it, and watched almost fearfully.

But the sphere turned out to be nothing even _remotely_ impressive. It was just recorded images of Besaid that Yuna and Wakka both knew like the backs of their hands.

When the images switched off, Rikku glanced at Wakka skeptically. "That's not it, is it?"

"Nah, 'fraid not," Wakka shook his head with a sigh. He pushed up to his feet and turned towards the entrance. "Time to go, ya?"

The others agreed, and they pushed their way past the underbrush that covered the cavern and made their way back outside.

Once they were standing outside beneath the sun and canopy, however, Rikku turned on her heel towards Wakka again. "So, what sphere were you looking for?"

Wakka took a breath, but in the time that had past since the Gullwings had gone after the sphere and then returned, he had sorted through his feelings enough to be able to explain. "It's a sphere of our parents. Chappu said he found it."

"Chappu?" Rikku frowned, but only until her eyes lit up a moment later in remembrance. "Oh! Your brother!"

"He was a Crusader," Wakka informed Paine, who nodded, understandingly.

Crusaders… They were the elite fighting forces who had striven to combat Sin two years ago. Paine knew of them all too well.

"Now he's gone to the Farplane," Wakka explained, meaning that he had been killed. "Sin got our parents not long after Chappu was born. We were too young to remember their faces, you know? When we were kids, we got into a fight one time, and Chappu said: 'I found a sphere with mom and dad in it, but I'm not telling you where it is.'"

"And you never asked him?" Yuna asked, astonished. She had never heard this story before either. It wasn't news just to Paine and Rikku.

"I was too _boneheaded_ to let my little brother win," Wakka's voice grew slightly fierce. "So I went on without asking until I just forgot about it. Then, yesterday, talking with you made me think about it again. Chappu used to play in this cave, so I thought, maybe he found the sphere here, ya? But when I came to look…" he glanced down, shamefacedly. "I got to thinking."

"About what?" Rikku asked curiously.

Wakka hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to form his words properly. He spoke very carefully. "See, I got this picture of my parents in my head, ya? Strong, and kind… Whenever things got tough, those are the parents I imagined. But their real faces might be totally different, ya? I think about that, and I'm not so sure I really wanna know. I was sittin' there, trying to figure out what to do. And then you guys showed up."

Rikku chuckled, shaking her head. "That's our Wakka."

"The sphere might still be somewhere on the island," Yuna pointed out. "Should we look for it?"

"Nah," Wakka shook his head. "That's all right. I'm through worrying about that stuff. What's past is past, ya? Can't let it get to me. I'm going to be a father soon. Gotta pull it together."

Rikku grinned. "That's right, dad!" Teasingly, she whacked his arm, and he made a face.

And as soon as she was away from him, his face fell even more. "But, uh… Just how am I supposed to pull it together? Sure wish I had something to go by, you know?"

Yuna silently agreed, and the others, even Rikku, grew solemn. What could you say to words like that?

Before they could think of anything, a transmission came through the receiver in Yuna's possession.

It was Buddy. "You read me? You guys about finished down there? Brother's starting to get on my nerves!"

Yuna held the receiver up to her lips. "Yeah. We'll be back soon."

In the background, on board the Celsius, they could hear a joyous exclamation coming from Brother.

Rikku rolled her eyes and started off, with Paine right behind her. Yuna, however, hesitated, and looked back at Wakka.

"You really leaving, then?" he asked softly. "Gonna keep up with this new journey?

Yuna nodded. "Absolutely."

"Good," Wakka seemed satisfied. "And you know that if you find him, you tell him Blitzball's gonna be starting up again soon, ya?"

"Count on it," Yuna promised. She glanced down, and a smile formed on Wakka's lips.

"Hey, chin up," he advised. She looked up at him and for a moment, they just gazed at each other. It seemed like too much time had past since they had last kept meaningful company together. "You'll find him," he told her.

"And your baby won't share his opinion about fathers," she assured him.

Wakka's face considerably brightened. He nodded, and held a hand out to her. "Let's go."

Yuna nodded, taking his hand in hers, and together, they started after Paine and Rikku.

**ooooooo**


	6. Reminiscing

**ooooooo**

By the time the Celsius had landed outside of Luca, once again, the sun was bright in the sky. The city was the largest in all of Spira – next to Bevelle – and quite possibly even _more_ populated – probably because it had grown to attract more tourists, and Bevelle had grown to attract less.

The city was right next to the water – Yuna had once sailed over the sea to reach Luca from Besaid. On all other sides, however, it was outlined by trees and forests.

The Blitzball Stadium was in the center of the Luca Bay, with a great bridge that stretched out to meet it. The rest of the city had a look of marble about it – mostly white, with some blue and red tones to set it apart. And though every now and then a person might come across a building that was taller than the rest, the fact was that the city was great in diameter, but not so much so in height.

That day was a beautiful one, and as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine made their way into the city limits – the first two strolling away leisurely while the latter sauntered reluctantly behind them – there were many people out and about who saw them come, and took great notice.

"Lady Yuna, your concert was incredible," one man said, as he and a throng of others approached the Summoner, respectively, but still overflowing with admiration and devotion.

"Thank you," Yuna spoke politely as a younger child pushed her way through and held up a small poster. The Summoner glanced down at it in surprise, noting the child's large, wonder-filled eyes, so full of awe, and a little bit of fear.

"Would you sign this, please?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly in all her nervousness.

Yuna knelt down before the girl and brushed hair out of her face, taking the poster with a smile. "I'd be glad to!" The girl immediately brightened as the Summoner continued to speak with her as if they were both the greatest of friends. There was a great, wide show of approval by this from the rest of the crowd, whose love for Yuna continued to increase.

"All right!" Rikku proclaimed exuberantly. "Single file, now! No pushing! The Gullwings, at your service!"

Paine grabbed Rikku's arm impatiently, forcing the Al Bhed girl back a few steps. When Rikku turned towards her in surprise, the sphere hunter was frowning. "Would you please tell me what we're doing here? We're _supposed_ to be looking for spheres in Zanarkand, remember?"

"Of course I do!" Rikku assured her, glancing back at Yuna. The Summoner was on her feet again, holding the younger girl's hand as she spoke with other people. She seemed so happy, and everyone was enthusiastic. Except for Paine. Rikku shrugged. "The concert was a big hit. We all thought we'd make a second appearance since we're down here anyway. For the fans, you know?"

"We don't have the _time_ to have fans," Paine grumbled. "I get that Yuna's a star, but she wasn't even the Yuna who preformed in that concert."

"So?" Rikku shrugged. "This is the _real_ Yuna we're talking about here. Once you really get to know her, you'll learn that she doesn't have the heart to tell these people that _that_ Yuna had just been an imposter. She's too nice to do that."

"Nice?" Paine sounded skeptical. "That isn't _nice_. It's timid."

"Maybe," Rikku shrugged again, once again glancing the Summoner's way. "But there's also the fact that Zanarkand is a very personal place to her. She isn't in any hurry to get there. I mean, come on! Would you be?" At this, Rikku looked questioningly at Paine, who, despite herself, grew _somewhat_ more sympathetic.

"I understand what you're saying," she stated coldly. "I really do. But Yuna's not the only person looking for spheres."

"Don't worry," Rikku said, reassuringly. "We'll get there. Just give Yuna some time."

But Yuna, at least in regard to her present situation, had had time enough. She slid past the people surrounding her and made her way towards the bridge that led to the stadium. Once she was upon that bridge, she stared out over the water. It was hard imagining that, just the day before, she had been here for a completely different reason with a completely different mind set.

She had wanted to get her sphere back. Her dressphere, which she could use through Shinra's invention, the Garment Grid. The Leblanc Syndicate had stolen it from her, and the Gullwings had, naturally, chased them all the way to Luca.

But when they had arrived, it hadn't taken them long at all to discover just what Leblanc had decided to _do_ with Yuna's sphere.

_"Looks like your imposter's really popular," Rikku had noted, eavesdropping on several excited tourists who were there to see a concert. A concert in which the High Summoner, Lady Yuna, would be performing! She turned round towards Paine and… a giant moogle!_

_Actually, it was just a large costume. A costume of an adorable little white creature with a red nose and small purple wings. Inside, Yuna was sweating profusely, for it had been a warm day._

_Paine had smirked. Of course, they all knew that with Yuna's grid, as an imposter, Leblanc would be difficult to discredit, and so it would probably be best for her to remain out of sight until they recovered what they had lost. Brother had suggested she dress in disguise, and since he was captain, his suggestion had become an order. And even if it _was_ somewhat practical, not even Paine could deny its hilarity. "I doubt anyone would believe ours is the real Yuna."_

_"Not dressed like that!" Rikku agreed with a teasing laugh._

_They could both picture Yuna's frustrated expression under her giant mask. "I didn't ask to wear this!"_

_But they also knew she was enjoying it. After all, it was almost like a game, and since two years ago, running around dressed like a moogle would _never_ have even been an _option_, Yuna had to admit, at least to herself, that it was good fun._

_There was, however, just one part about it that she could have done without. "Whew. It's hot…"_

_Paine glanced sideways at Rikku. "Shall we finish this before Yuna passes out?"_

_Rikku nodded, practically hopping up and down in anticipation. "We'll be back in two shakes, so be a good moogle, you hear?" She turned and sprinted towards the stadium with Paine on her heels, the two of them leaving Yuna far behind._

_The plan had been to sneak into the imposter's concert and recover the Garment Grid. Their cover would have been blown if Yuna had gone, so the Summoner had left it up to Paine and Rikku._

_Of course, in the past, Yuna had been part of unconventional operations that had not included sneaking around, and she would have enjoyed charging into the concert headfirst after Leblanc as much as, if not more than, any other plan they could have come up with. She had argued that point with Brother for awhile, but in the end… orders were orders._

****Presently, Rikku and Paine had walked up behind Yuna, and the Al Bhed girlhopped up onto the bridge's banister. Sitting there, she looked down at Yuna curiously.

"So when we were last here," she said conversationally. "And Paine and I took off, what did you do to pass the time?"

Yuna felt her face flush slightly and she shook her head. "Top secret!" Naturally, that made Rikku even _more_ curious, and she complained. But Yuna wouldn't be persuaded to reveal _anything_. At least not then.

Ironically, she was even _more_ reminded of her prior activities when a little girl on the bridge behind her ran after her mother in distress. "Mommy! Mommy, my balloon!"

Turning, so that she once again faced the city instead of the sea, Yuna watched as a round balloon lifted up higher into the sky. She thought back.

_"You!"_

_Yuna, who had been waiting for Paine in Rikku in impatient concern, turned with some surprise as a vendor glared at her in disapproval._

_"Get over here!"_

_Huh? Curious and eager for any distraction, Yuna found herself obeying his command._

_"You're here to promote the concert, right?" he demanded, turning back to what he was vending. Balloons. A _lot_ of balloons. Which, of course, struck a sense of bereavement in her, for she had never had _any_ cause for balloons in _her_ childhood._

_"No," she nevertheless shook her head. "There must be some mistake."_

_He ignored her and, instead, bluntly handed her a dozen of them. "Thanks, and, um, don't screw up." With that, he headed off in another direction before she could reply. So she was stuck with the job, simply because their conversation ended before it had even begun. Or maybe… maybe there really was a part of her that still just couldn't say "No."_

_So that was how she distracted herself and remained occupied while Rikku and Paine did their job. And before long, she had heard Rikku's words through her own transmission._

_"Y, R, P, in position. It's showtime, girls."_

"That place was packed with people dancing!" Rikku exclaimed presently, having forgotten Yuna's hushed mouth and now eagerly reminisced on their unseemly activities.

Yuna smiled. "You think Leblanc was enjoying herself?"

"Until she got hurt," Paine shrugged, forgetting herself. It was surprising, she would later reflect. Sometimes, like right now for instance, when she was in Yuna's company, everything else seemed trivial, and all that mattered was enjoying the sunlight, and taking things slow. It came from Yuna, who was still learning for herself what it meant to be free of Sin, and the feeling was truly infectious.

Yuna sighed, as her memories continued to play out in her mind.

_Does she look like me much? Yuna wondered that as she approached the stadium, still in her moogle costume. But before she could get any closer, a guard had stepped in her path._

_"Hold it! The concert's sold out. You can't go in."_

_"I can't?" Yuna frowned, thinking about the irony. She wasn't being allowed into her own concert! There was really something wrong with that._

_"Definitely not," the guard stated. "Go on, get out of here."_

_"Hey, we've got some gatecrashers!" Another guard appeared behind the first, sweating slightly – which Yuna could sympathize with – and looking utterly frustrated._

_"Must be those sphere hunters," the first guard grumbled. Together, the two of them turned and hastened back towards the stadium._

_Worried, Yuna followed as stealthily as possible in a large moogle costume. She hurried across the bridge, then snuck down the very few and very neglected roads that had been built on and around the stadium's manmade island. _

_Before long, she found a secluded corner to hide in while she removed the moogle costume. From there, she had clearly heard someone approaching. As it turned out, there were _many_ people approaching. First, Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. Then, Rikku and Paine._

_By the time Yuna had completely shed her disguise and had readied her guns, Paine and Rikku both looked like they needed backup._

_"Here comes the real Yuna," the Summoner said, and started forward, firing her weapons._

Rikku's pride, apparently, had most definitely been hurt. "I was just about to finish 'em off, but then you showed up and stole all the fun!"

Paine shook her head. "I seem to recall you being on the ground."

Yuna smiled, glancing apologetically at her cousin. "I guess I was so glad to get out of that thing that I went a little nuts."

"That explains the dancing," Paine observed, even though they all knew that it didn't explain anything, whatsoever.

"Dancing Yuna?" Brother's voice immediately sounded over Rikku's receiver. She stared down at it in disgust. "Where? I am there!"

"Listening close enough?" Rikku demanded, hopping off the banister and turning to face out to sea. "I should throw this stupid thing away!"

Yuna smiled as the Celsius flew over the Luca bay like a glorious winged aeon.

Meanwhile, Rikku glanced at Paine, and finally conceded to her. "We've been here for awhile now. We should go."

"All right," Yuna agreed, and together, the three of them headed away from the bridge and the stadium, making their way back towards the circular city plaza.

But as they were heading through it, for once unhindered by the multitude, a sense of déjà vu swept through Yuna, and she stopped short – though not sudden enough to catch Paine and Rikku's immediate attention.

In her mind's eye, she could see into a place… something like this… It had been here… in Luca… this very square… only from a different time. Two years ago. When Spira was still caught in its spiral…

He was standing there. Right there before her. He put some fingers into his mouth and blew. And Yuna watched him in pure wonder.

_"Hey, use that if we get separated. Then, I'll come running, okay?"_

_I've never stopped,_ Yuna realized silently. _I've never stopped listening… But I do find myself stopping – in order to… I'm listening for your whistle._

"Yuna?"

She looked up and saw both Paine and Rikku looking back at her in concern. She smiled. "I'm coming!"

Hastening to catch up with them, they continued on their way, and did not stop until they were out of Luca.

**ooooooo**


	7. Into the Gauntlet

**ooooooo**

When they left Luca, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine found themselves standing at the start of a beautiful road. It led across fields and over hills greener than the brightest emeralds. There were some patches of forest, but for the most part, it all seemed to be clear meadows over which a long, wide road had been constructed.

The Mi'ihen Highroad, Yuna thought. Where Crusaders had once marched towards Sin while travelers fled from its shadow. Yuna had been there before, herself, on her pilgrimage to Zanarkand.

_With him,_ she thought sadly, for he was always on her mind. _He walked by my side. It was a journey filled with laughter…_

That was how Yuna had wanted it. Because of the circumstances, however, it would have been impossible to laugh at all, were it not for him. After all, she had been traveling towards her own inevitable death… There was no joy in that. Especially among her Guardians, who hadn't wanted her to become a Summoner in the first place. No. Had he not been there, there would have been very little laughter.

But he _had_ been there. He hadn't known about Yuna's fate. He hadn't understood… but he _had_ brought laughter with him. She remembered quite vividly sitting along this very Highroad two years earlier, outside of Rin's Travel Agency, while the sun set, with him beside her. Jokingly impersonating the old Maester of Yevon, Mika. And Yuna had laughed when, without him, she might not have laughed at all.

Her thoughts swept on, passing over Mika and the other Maesters of Yevon. Maester Seymour, whom she had married. And Maester Kinoc, who, along with Mika and Seymour, had betrayed and used the teachings of Yevon for their own devices. Their actions had led them all to their deaths – though Mika had died long before – and had inadvertently supported the first Summoner to ever defeat Sin by summoning the Final Aeon – ultimately starting the Spiral of Death – Lady Yunalesca's claim that humans would _never_ be able to find the true repentance that was required to free them of Sin. Thus every Summoner's pilgrimage, and every Summoner's sacrifice, had been merely to inspire a false sense of hope within Spira.

_He_ hadn't stood for that. Not that Yuna had, either, for it had been she to blatantly defy the Yunalesca they had spoken with: an Unsent who had yet to go on to the Farplane, even though she had lived in Zanarkand a thousand years ago.

Mika had been Unsent, too. As well as Seymour. As a Summoner, it had been Yuna's responsibility to see them Sent to the Farplane where they could finally rest… but in her attempts to do so, she had been branded a traitor.

Despite it all, _he_ had always stood by her side. When she and the rest of her Guardians had felt the worst betrayal by those who supposedly stood for Yevon – who was something of a great deity to the people of Spira – _he_ had offered them encouragement and hope… not to mention sheer determination.

He had loved Yuna. And he had been so much more to her than a mere Guardian.

Along this road, Yuna thought as she gazed out over the green paths and fields and rolling hills, he had officially – or not so officially – become a true Guardian, with Sir Auron's guidance.

"Yuna?" Paine had moved forward, and was now looking back at the Summoner. "Are we going?"

"Yeah," Yuna quickly sorted through her thoughts so that she could say something intelligent without giving away her true feelings at that moment. "I was just wondering if Rin might be at the Travel Agency farther down the road. If he is, we should stop in and say hi."

"I don't think so," Rikku shook her head. She knew the owner of the Travel Agencies around Spira fairly well – for he was Al Bhed, too. And she had a better idea of what he had been up to over the last two years than Yuna had. "He's out promoting his new card game. I think it's called Sphere Break. Anyway, it's very unlikely he'll be at the Agency up ahead."

"Sphere Break?" Paine raised an eyebrow at that.

"Yeah!" Rikku nodded her head enthusiastically. "Now that Sin's gone, people are gonna want more than just Blitzball to keep them entertained, right?"

"But…" Yuna cocked her head. "Entertained by a _card_ game?"

"It's supposed to be a very challenging, exciting game," Rikku defended. "And unlike Blitzball, _anyone_ can play it. You don't have to be a part of some team to join in the tournaments!"

"Whatever," Paine grumbled. And Yuna had to admit that she agreed with her.

"It's a good game," Rikku insisted. "You just wait! You'll both see!"

"Right," Paine shook her head and started down the Highroad. None of them knew where Brother had taken the ship when he had piloted around looking for a "dancing Yuna," but they _did_ know for certain that they weren't gonna sit around waiting for him.

**ooooooo**

It took them awhile – the rest of the day, in fact – to pass over the Mi'ihen Highroad. The sun was sinking very low in the sky when they reached the end of that road and the start of another.

Mushroom Rock Road. It did no have the same green landscape that the Highroad had had. Instead, it was brown, dusky, and dry – mostly rocks with ugly fungi growing in the crevices.

Along this road had been the command center for Operation Mi'ihen: a fierce battle between Sin and the joint forces of the Crusaders and the Al Bhed. Such an alliance had been forbidden by Yevon – as the Al Bhed were to use their forbidden machina to fight the monster.

Yuna and her Guardians had witnessed the entire operation. And they had witnessed it fail. Many lives had been lost that fateful day… Yuna would never forget it. For she had never felt more helpless in her life. At that time, no one had been laughing. And Yuna had wondered if she would ever laugh again.

Brother had still not appeared with the Celsius, and Rikku was stubbornly refusing to use her receiver to call for him. She was still angry about his earlier eavesdropping.

But as they entered Mushroom Rock Road, even Paine couldn't deny that Rikku's obstinacy might have paid off.

"It's those creeps again!" Rikku exclaimed as they came around a bend and found themselves staring at the backs of Logos and Ormi – the two captains – for lack of a better word – of Leblanc's Syndicate.

"Maybe there's a sphere here," Paine noted in genuine interest. And it was _very_ interesting to her – for she had not failed to recognize this road as a place that was every bit as pivotal to her as it was for any who had taken part in Operation Mi'ihen. If there was a sphere here… maybe it would have the answer that she was looking for.

Yuna watched as Logos and Ormi started forward. They continued a few yards at a straight jog before abruptly turning and disappearing to the left. Yuna eagerly spun towards Paine and Rikku. "Now it's our turn to do the following!"

"Yeah!" Rikku agreed, and the three of them started off after the two goons.

But when they reached the point where Logos and Ormi had switched directions, and when they turned themselves, they found themselves staring at a handful of men and women.

"Oh," Yuna stopped short, with Rikku nearly running into her back, while Paine stopped more gracefully. "Pardon us."

One of the men in the crowd stepped towards the Summoner with a warm smile on his lips, hardly concerned with her ungainly entrance. "Good to see you again, Lady Yuna!" But then he hesitated. "You haven't forgotten me, have you?"

Yuna frowned, and stared at him intently for a minute. As a Summoner, she had come across literally hundreds of men and women, and couldn't _possibly_ be expected to remember _everyone_. But this man, she did, and after a second, she smiled in recognition. "Yaibal, isn't it? You're in the Youth League."

A huge grin broke out over his face. "You really _do_ remember me! I'm truly honored, Lady Yuna!"

She nodded her head graciously as the man beamed.

And as for the Youth League… it was one of the two new major political parties that had formed in Spira since the destruction of Sin. The other party was titled New Yevon, and was mostly made up of the more conservative denizens of Spira.

"Since we last met," Yaibal was saying, "the Youth League has been conducting a sphere hunt of its own."

Paine grew tense by that single remark, though no one noticed – she hid it very well. Yet she couldn't help but wonder… why was the _Youth League_ looking for spheres?

Presently, Yaibal had turned his little speech over to another man – whom Yuna recognized as well – if not even more so than the former. His name was Clasko, and he had once been part of the Chocobo Knights – an organization led in part by Captain Lucil, to defend others from various fiends. They fought mounted on the backs of great golden, long necked birds known as chocobos.

Yuna was somewhat surprised to see Clasko with the Youth League. He had, after all, _never_ wanted to be a fighter, but instead a chocobo breeder. She had thought for sure that that would be how he would have occupied his time, now that Sin was gone.

And sure enough, as Clasko spoke, he sounded thoroughly miserable. "We, the Youth League, in order to better our understanding of Spira's past, vow to remain vigilant in our search… for ruins and spheres."

He sighed unhappily, and Yuna found herself offering him an understanding and sympathetic smile while Paine still pondered on the League's mission statement.

Rikku, however, would not be distracted from their original targets. "Ooh, that's enough! Those two guys are getting away!"

Paine immediately quenched her thoughts, returning to the present. "Did Leblanc's men pass through here?"

Clasko and Yaibal both glanced at her in mild surprise. That only lasted about a second, though, until they and their companions realized just what Yuna had been after. The rumors must have been true, then. The Summoner was a sphere hunter, and was competing with the infamous Leblanc Syndicate for spheres.

"Yes," Yaibal said helpfully. "But they said they were here to take care of our fiend problem." He focused on Yuna, hoping to clarify for her. "You see, the Youth League is in preparation for an important operation-" this statement once again claimed Paine's immediate attention "-leaving our patrols shorthanded. As a result, the road overhead has been overrun by fiends. Be warned: unless you can defeat the fiends on the road, you will not be able to pass."

"I think we can handle it," Paine said coldly, still wondering what a certain leader of a certain Youth League was up to. _Important operation?_ What did _that_ mean?

Yaibal nodded, knowing all too well that if _anyone_ could handle a couple of fiends, it would be the High Summoner and her Guardian – and Paine, too, for no one could look at that woman and be unconscious of her obvious physical prowess. "All right. So, you're ready to run the Gauntlet?"

Yuna nodded casually. "Sure. We're game."

"Understood," Yaibal actually looked somewhat relieved to have Yuna and her friends agree to challenge a few fiends. The other Youth League members seemed to feel the same. After all… They all knew they could rely on Lady Yuna to take care of their monster problems! _That_ much hadn't changed.

Yaibal continued: "The Gauntlet is what we've named the side part of Mushroom Rock Road. It leads straight to the headquarters. And until you get there, expect to encounter fiends along the way. You'll have to fight through them."

Yuna nodded. It wouldn't be the first time she had 'run the Gauntlet,' so to speak. That was the very road she and her Guardians had traveled two years ago to reach the command center of Operation Mi'ihen. More than likely, it was the same place that headquartered the Youth League now.

"Good luck," Yaibal told the Summoner before he turned towards Clasko. "Why don't you show them the way?"

The poor man's face completely blanched at the thought of walking headfirst into fiend territory. But, much to his credit, he didn't object. "O-of course!" He glanced meekly towards Yuna and her two companions. "This way, please."

"Yeah!" Rikku eagerly started ahead, not bothering to wait for Clasko or even for Yuna. "Let's hunt some fiend!"

Paine quickly started after her, leaving Yuna as the only one to wait for Clasko's guidance. The two of them made their way down the secluded path together.

"You seem down," the Summoner observed quietly, as soon as they were a good distance from the remaining Youth League members, but still not so far behind Rikku that they might lose sight of her.

"Well," Clasko sighed again, but somehow he managed to bring himself to confide in her as he would _never_ have confided in anyone else. "A lot has happened since you brought us the Calm. I ended up following Captain Lucil. When she joined the Youth League, so did I. But I'm still stuck playing the tour guide!" He shook his head unhappily. He glanced at her. "You know, all I want is to ride on a chocobo… faster than the wind."

Yuna nodded understandingly. "I don't know whether you would believe it, but I know how you feel." He smiled glumly, but the Summoner was pleased to see that despite his sorrow, there was now a small light in his eyes that hadn't been there two minutes ago. It was amazing how much a few small words of sympathy or support could do for a person.

But then things got interesting.

"Lady Yuna!" Clasko stopped short, looking ahead in utter horror, his body grown tense as a board.

The Summoner looked ahead and saw just what Yaibal had been talking about. Four large brown fiends – somewhat resembling giant lizards – had crept from the shadows and were headed straight towards her and the young Youth.

"Paine! Rikku!" Yuna shouted, hoping her voice would carry as she quickly pulled free her two handguns. Her heart began to race with excitement, even as Clasko fell behind her in horror.

One of the four lizards rose itself up, letting loose a loud, high-pitched shriek of fury, before it charged towards her.

Yuna cocked her guns and fired. Her bullets pierced its thick flesh, and it fell back in shocked surprise, but other than that, there was little damage done. All in all, her attack just seemed to anger the fiend. Not to mention the fiend's friends. Yuna bit her lip as they all charged furiously towards her in one quick wave.

Four against one, she cautiously reminded herself. _And_, she needed to protect Clasko…

Moving faster than anyone would have foreseen natural to the woman, she holstered her guns and reached for one of the few spheres she kept on her person. Most of them made up her Garment Grid – only one was an ordinary sphere. The sphere that might possibly be of _him_. But that was not the one she now held in her hands.

Great streams and ribbons of gold swept around Yuna as she changed dresspheres. Her Gunner outfit quickly converted into black leather, and in her hands she now gripped a large blue sword of water elements.

It was her Warrior dressphere. The first that Shinra had ever designed for her – and quite possibly her favorite. For the young Al Bhed genius had specifically incorporated into it the blue sword – at her own request. It was called the Brotherhood, and had, in its time, belonged to Wakka and his brother, Chappu, but also, and more importantly, it had been brandished by a certain Guardian two years ago. That made it sacred to Yuna.

Normally, she would never have been strong enough to even lift the blade. But that was what was wonderful about the dresspheres. They gave their wearers the abilities that those who were meant to wear the specific garments had possessed. Since the garment Yuna now wore had been meant for a warrior, Yuna now held the power and strength of a warrior. She could both carry and wield the Brotherhood with extreme grace and ease.

But apparently no one had informed Clasko of this new innovation, for he was staring at Yuna in wide-eyed amazement, and complete and utter awe.

As the lizard fiends flew towards Yuna, she instinctively sidestepped one and held out the blade. The monster inadvertently threw itself upon it, and thus inevitably erupted into golden light with several greenish-yellow orbs evaporating into the air.

The fiends rushed at the Summoner, and though she expertly held them off, she realized she wouldn't be able to do so for long. Fortunately, that was when the cavalry arrived.

Paine and Rikku were now in the fray as well – Rikku letting out some crazed war cry whenever she wasn't insulting the fiends that she attacked not just with her daggers, but also with whatever Al Bhed tools she had ready for use. Paine, at the same time, was using her own blade to fight down the monsters. Before long, two more burst into golden-green bubbles, fading away into nothingness.

"That's three!" Yuna said, spinning around to look for the last remaining fiend. But it wasn't to be seen.

"Hey!" Rikku shouted, slowly turning round, looking for the monster in every direction. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Paine stood stiff, motionlessly waiting, trying to sense the creature out. It was very rare that a fiend would run from a fight, and she wasn't buying it anymore than her other companions were.

"Clasko," Yuna glanced at the younger man, speaking quietly. She could see that he, unlike her and her friends, really _wasn't_ a fighter at all. He looked utterly frightened and helpless. "Stay close to me, then don't move."

He hastened to obey. But his movements were clumsy and jerkier than Yuna had predicted they would be. And they caught the fiend's attention.

It lunged from the shadows, straight towards Clasko – who was now between it and Yuna. He let out a horrified wail as he saw it coming, and neither Yuna nor even Paine had been prepared for that.

But Rikku was fast. She pulled an Al Bhed grenade from her belt and let it loose straight towards the giant lizard.

The ensuing explosion caused Yuna, Paine, and Rikku to all turn away, covering their faces – though it completely blew Clasko off his feet. He landed in a heap on the dirt road.

The fiend had survived the blast, but like Clasko, was on the ground, more than just a little fazed. Yuna charged towards it and quickly put it out of its misery with the famous sword. As the fiend vanished – releasing the human being it had once been in its true life back to the Farplane – Yuna felt a thrill course through her body that made her think of _him_. Perhaps _that_ was why she favored this dressphere. It made her feel close to him again.

"Yeah!" Rikku held up her arm, fist towards the sky, in triumph. "This is great! The fiends don't stand a chance against us!"

"Don't forget we're following the Syndicate," Paine reminded her as she sheathed her sword.

Yuna walked towards Clasko and knelt down beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," he said, though he looked somewhat dizzy. Yuna smiled and helped him back up to his feet, all the while keeping a close eye on him until she determined that he was, indeed, going to be fine.

"Come on," she suggested. "Let's hurry and get you to your headquarters." Clasko nodded, and they continued on their way.

As they hastened through the Gauntlet, they did come across several more fiends. However, none of them proved to be that much more of a challenge than their first four opponents had been. The fights were pretty much the same, hindering them only for a couple of minutes. No one got seriously injured – at the very worst, they just endured a few scratches. And by the end, Clasko was the one who was the best off, for the sphere hunters had each gone out of their way to keep him safe more than once.

In no time at all, however, they could see the familiar sight of what had been the command center of Operation Mi'ihen two years ago, and was now headquarters for the Youth League. Yuna herself would have kept walking towards it, but Paine suddenly gripped her arm and nodded to their left.

As Yuna and Rikku both stopped short to look, they could clearly see a small trail that seemed to lead downhill. It looked suspicious enough to warrant their attention – _especially_ since it had been Paine to silently suggest it.

Yuna turned towards Clasko. "Do you think you can get to the headquarters safely enough from here?"

Clasko looked at her in surprise, but then glanced towards the headquarters. It was close enough for him to nod – however hesitantly. "Thank you, Lady Yuna. I'm sorry I wasn't… more of a help."

"Don't worry yourself about it," she suggested pleasantly. "You're a chocobo breeder at heart, Clasko. Considering the circumstances, I was very impressed."

"Really?" he asked her, his eyes opening wide. Yuna nodded.

"Okay! Okay!" Rikku impatiently broke it up. She stared at Yuna. "We have to go or those two goons will get away!"

"I'll see you again later," Yuna assured the young man before she turned and headed off towards the little side trail. Clasko watched her go as Paine and Rikku followed, and then turned and made his way to headquarters.

**ooooooo**


	8. The Youth League

**ooooooo**

It was getting progressively darker as night approached, but that did not hinder Paine as she led Yuna and Rikku off the main road and down into what seemed to be a small gorge. All the while, her heart began to beat faster and faster as images from her own memory swept through her mind's sight. The last time she had been here…

She felt sick, and it was all she could do to keep such emotion off her face. But somehow she succeeded, and remained blandly impassive.

It was not so with Yuna or Rikku, however. Neither of them had ever been down into that gorge, and looks of curiosity and wonder filled their eyes – even as they kept a sharp lookout for fiends. After all… wandering off the main road in such territory… was not quite an intelligent thing for them to be doing.

When they reached the bottom of the gorge, they found themselves standing at the foot of a large cliff that shot straight up into the air. For the immediate area surrounding Mushroom Rock Road, this was very typical geography, and not in the least bit impressive.

What _was_ impressive was the large seal that seemed to block some kind of entrance leading _inside_ the cliff itself. Paine drew her breath as Yuna and Rikku both stared at it directly past the two men they had been following.

Logos and Ormi were standing in front of the large sealed entrance, staring at several brassy golden bars that stretched away from the seal's center. It was along those that several circular slots lay empty. Yuna instantly recognized their significance, for she had seen such slots before.

As a Summoner, on her pilgrimage, she had traveled from Temple to Temple, passing through each Cloister of Trials in order to reach the Chambers of the Fayth. It was in those rooms where she prayed and gathered Aeons. But it was not easy reaching the Chambers, because the Cloisters of Trials were like challenging puzzles that she had been required to solve. Puzzles that included placing various spheres into their rightful slots.

_Those_ empty slots on _that_ particular seal were meant for spheres. And the Summoner realized that whatever lay beyond that door would not be found until the proper spheres were placed in the proper slots to unlock it.

It seemed like Logos and Ormi had the same idea. For they were fumbling with a bag full of spheres, and placing random ones into those slots.

"This one ain't no good," Ormi grumbled.

"Nor this one," Logos agreed, shoving the sphere in his hand back into its bag. It was obvious they weren't having much luck at all.

Yuna started towards them, still holding the Brotherhood casually in her hand. However, she did speak pleasantly enough. "What is this place?"

Logos and Ormi both jumped around as if they had been given heart attacks. It made Yuna wonder how the two of them had made it this far without getting eaten by a couple of fiends.

The two of them panicked when they saw the three Gullwings. Ormi immediately threw his sphere into the bag he was sharing with Logos, frantically crying: "Let's get outta here!"

Yuna tilted her head in amusement as both men tried claiming the bag for themselves. And in doing so, an audible tear could be heard from the material.

Logos shook his head, exasperated, and surrendered the bag to his companion. "We must inform the boss!" There was no time for the two of them to be fighting between themselves. From his sleeve he pulled a pistol free.

"Hey!" Rikku objected as Yuna instantly grew more alert. In her Warrior dressphere, she no longer possessed her own guns to fire back!

However, Logos merely aimed the gun above their heads. When he fired, there was a burst of smoke and light that temporarily blinded the three Gullwings. Coughing and shielding their eyes, they were not at all fit to stop the two goons as they roughly pushed their way past them.

When they charged past Paine, though, a strange sense of familiarity swept through her. Familiarity that involved Logos and Ormi… _What…?_

She stumbled backwards, choking on her sudden fear. It wasn't that she was afraid of _them_… But something wasn't right.

_Are you surprised?_ she asked herself in contempt. _That cave _is_ called the Den of Woe, after all._

"Hey!" Rikku was objecting to the whole thing as her sight and breath returned to her. She spun around and stared after the two men angrily. "What gives?"

"You'd think we'd have learned by now," Yuna said unhappily. "You know? Not to allow them to use the same strategy on us over and over again."

"No kidding," Rikku agreed, but then she saw something and immediately perked up. "Hey, they dropped something!"

"Hmm?" Yuna followed Rikku's gesture and could see a small, blood red crimson sphere lying on the ground a few feet away from Paine. She let loose a wide grin. "Hey! Finders keepers!"

"I'll take it," Paine said softly, bending down to claim it. Rikku jumped towards her.

"Let's watch it!"

"Let's not," Paine growled. Rikku stopped short and stared at her with a confused frown.

"No?" she asked.

"No," Paine confirmed, somewhat harshly. "I've a special interest in spheres like these. And considering we should have been in Zanarkand this morning, I feel like I deserve some compensation."

"Grouchy much?" Rikku demanded, crossing her arms as Paine's comment caused Yuna to flinch slightly. The Summoner herself hadn't realized what a hurry Paine had been in to get to the ruins. It startled her.

The sphere hunter's devoid expression softened somewhat, and she glanced down. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need for that," Yuna said, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Okay then, it's settled. All the crimson colored spheres we find belong to Paine!" Silently, the Summoner hoped that that was the right thing to suggest, even as she wondered what it was about those spheres Paine had 'a special interest' in.

In any event, Paine seemed satisfied, and took the truce. With a nod, she turned to climb back out of the gorge after Logos and Ormi.

Before she could get very far, however, a large shadow could be seen approaching through the darkness, into the gorge. Paine tensed, even as Yuna and Rikku hurried to back her up in case it was a fiend.

Fortunately, _that_ wasn't the case.

"Is someone down there?" It was the voice of an ordinary man. _And_, it seemed familiar to Yuna. She hastened in front of Paine.

"Yes!" she called into the shadows. "We're the Gullwings!"

"Lady Yuna?" a man appeared before them, and, sure enough, the Summoner was quickly able to recognize him.

"Sir Maroda!" she said warmly, acknowledging his rank as a Guardian. He hadn't been _hers_, however, but was Guardian to a very different Summoner who had traveled on his own pilgrimage during the same year that she herself had. The Summoner's name had been Lord Isaaru, and he was one Maroda's two brothers – the other one being young Pacce, a small boy who had prided himself on being an honorary Guardian to Isaaru as well.

"So you remember me, then?" he said with a pleased smile as he took in the High Summoner and her two companions.

"Of course I do!" she assured him. "How've you been?"

"I've joined up with the Youth League," Maroda told her conversationally. "And I'll tell you, that's been keeping me _very_ busy."

"I can imagine," she said cheerfully. "I've become a sphere hunter myself now."

"Really?" Maroda nodded his approval. "That sounds great, my Lady. Trying out a new way of life. Actually," he chuckled a little. "Pacce's a sphere hunter now, too. He's the leader of the Kinderguardians."

"Oh?" Yuna laughed. "That's very impressive."

"Very adorable if you ask me!" Rikku pitched in.

"Yeah," Maroda agreed. "Be nice to him if you see him."

"And how's Isaaru?" Yuna naturally found herself asking. But what she wasn't expecting from that was the darkened look that suddenly shadowed the Guardian's face.

He glanced away, and when he looked back, he tried to change the subject. "So I see you've found the Den of Woe." He nodded towards the sealed entrance along the side of the cliff behind them.

Paine scoffed.

Rikku spun around to face the seal once again in interest.

Yuna, however, wasn't distracted. She stared expectantly at Maroda, who uncomfortably tried to keep the new topic alive.

"The Youth League discovered this place, you know," he stated. "It was sealed around the time of Operation Mi'ihen."

"And Isaaru?" Yuna questioned.

Paine glanced at her, impressed. It was just another instance where the Summoner proved that she cared more for the people around her than for useless trivia or meaningless fact. Not that anything about the Den of Woe was meaningless to Paine. No. It was, at this point, one of the most important aspects of her life. But to Yuna…

Yuna didn't know anything about the Den of Woe. What she _did_ know was that something was strained between Maroda and Isaaru. And her concern for them took precedence. Paine respected that.

Maroda – at that particular moment – didn't. "But, uh… the seal can supposedly be broken with the right combination of spheres."

"Maroda…" there was a sorrow in Yuna's voice that touched the Guardian – as it seemed to touch everyone.

Unfortunately, Maroda didn't know how to handle that, and the awkwardness of the situation got to him. He shook his head, taking a deep breath, and forced himself to appear stern. "Forgive me, Lady Yuna, but I am afraid this place is off limits until we can conduct a more thorough investigation."

Paine looked up sharply. She had heard those words before.

_"We've reports of something extremely dangerous inside this cave, but we lack more detailed information."_

_"We're to eliminate it?"_

_"No, you are simply to investigate. Report your findings back to me."_

Paine swallowed. "You mean, you, as in the Youth League?"

Maroda nodded. "I, um… the reason I came down here was because I'm responsible for asking those who stumble across this area to leave. I'm sorry."

"That's quite all right," Yuna said softly. "Though if you are planning to go back to the Youth League headquarters, we would be honored for you to join us."

Maroda brightened somewhat. "You are mistaken, Lady, for it would be _my_ honor to Guard you safely there. It is almost night, and there are many fiends about."

Yuna touched her dressphere, activating it, and a moment later her garments changed so that she was once again in her Gunner outfit. It was a show for Maroda, silently informing him that she would accept his protection, and thus no longer needed to be a warrior herself.

As Maroda led the three of them out of the gorge, Paine took up the rear, following silently and at a distance even as Rikku and the other Guardian struck up a cheerful conversation about some incident that had happened between them two years ago – something about Al Bhed kidnappings… Paine paid very little attention.

She was distracted, thinking about the Den of Woe and the sphere she had finally found – which she _did_ recognize, by the way. And she was also thinking about what Maroda had said.

The Youth League investigating into the Den of Woe. The Youth League was led by Nooj. He, of all people, should know better. But then again, shouldn't she, as well? What was he up to?

"Oh man," Rikku moaned, bringing Paine back to the present. The young Al Bhed girl was gazing towards the Youth League headquarters, which was now only a few yards away. And beyond _that_, they could all clearly see the Celsius's shining lights – for it was night by that time.

"Brother's caught up with us," Yuna observed with a smile.

"Joy," Paine commented dryly.

"Well then," Yuna turned towards the Guardian with a smile. "Thank you for guiding us here, Sir Maroda. I hope we meet again in the future."

"As do I," Maroda said, bowing before her slightly at the waist. "Now, please excuse me. There are many duties I have yet to perform tonight." Without further adieu, he turned, and hurried into the distance.

The headquarters, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine found as they entered under a great banner lit by two torches on either side of it, was made up of very many brightly colored mobile tents. Several large pieces of machina could be seen in every direction, and men and women of all kinds were, even in the evening, going about various tasks and duties that they had been assigned to.

Everything seemed to be moving. Especially with the flames that kept the darkness at bay. Shadows were dancing in a very welcoming, enchanting way.

The whole conception of the Youth League was liberal. It was a step away from Spira's past, and a step towards a future that spoke of novelty and youthful, vigorous spirit and energy.

It had been formed a year earlier, by those who opposed New Yevon – the other major political party. Its members claimed that, in the hands of New Yevon, Spira would end up repeating its past mistakes.

The League's leader was a former Crusader by the name of Meyvn Nooj. He was, supposedly, very reputable. Yuna herself had never met him before.

"Oh, wow!" A voice from their left caught their attention.

Yuna turned and saw a young woman running towards her with a huge grin. And Yuna herself couldn't help but smile in return. It was Elma, yet another one of the Chocobo Knights.

"Lady Yuna!" Elma cried in pure delight. "It's so good to see you! Wow." She stopped short before the Summoner, looking her up and down. "Look at you! You've really changed!"

"Hello, Elma," Yuna said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Never better!" the woman proclaimed with energy and enthusiasm enough to rival Rikku! "Now that I've joined the Youth League, I've always got something to do! It's-"

"Well you're right about one thing," another voice interrupted. It was also feminine, but more dignified and austere. Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all turned at the sound of it and found a tall red-head approaching them. Elma immediately stood at attention before the newcomer, who had crossed her arms. "You _do_ have a lot to do."

"Ma'am!" Elma stole a quick, amused glance towards Yuna before she hastened away.

Yuna looked back at the red-head, and the two smiled at each other. "It's good to see you again, Lucil."

"You, too, Lady Yuna," the captain of the Chocobo Knights nodded. "It's been too long." She glanced at Paine, whom she did not recognize. "I am Lucil, commander of the Youth League forces."

Paine nodded.

"Ooh," Rikku grinned, bouncing slightly on her feet. "Talk about a promotion! Congratulations."

"Thank you," Lucil nodded. She looked back at Yuna. "I take great honor in being allowed to so aid the Youth League, as well as in the fight for a new Spira. I consider it my sacred duty."

"I wish you the greatest fortune," Yuna assured her.

"Thank you," Lucil tilted her head slightly. "By the way, our leader, Meyvn Nooj, has been looking forward to having an audience with my Lady for some time now."

Yuna stared at her in surprise as Paine looked up in interest. "Really?"

"Yes," Lucil nodded. "Unfortunately, he is planning a mission of great import and will be occupied well into the night."

More on Nooj's mission, Paine thought glumly. He was investigating into the Den of Woe, _and_ organizing some kind of operation. What was going on with him?

A part of Paine was terribly curious. She could sense that everything about all of this was somehow tied together with what happened two years ago. She desperately wanted to know… to understand… So much so that, for a second, she considered just charging forward, back into his life, while demanding answers.

"I am terribly sorry," Lucil was saying. "But I must ask that you return at a different time."

"What?" Rikku sounded offended. "What's so secret that you can't confide in the great High Summoner?"

Lucil started at that, and turned towards the Al Bhed in confusion. "Does that mean you wish to become a member of the Youth League."

"Rikku!" Yuna glowered at her before looking back at Lucil apologetically. "I'm afraid not. You see, I'm a sphere hunter now."

"But the Youth League's looking for spheres too!" Rikku reminded her. She glanced at Lucil. "Right?"

"Yes," Lucil nodded. After all, _that_ much was no secret. "'Knowledge of the past is the key to the future.' So says the meyvn. It is with these words in mind that we seek the spheres of yore. The mission we are planning also revolves around a sphere."

"You see!" Rikku looked at Yuna triumphantly, even as Paine's eyes widened, ever so slightly.

It really _could_ all be connected…

Rikku was nodding energetically. "We _do_ have a motive to offer our services!"

Lucil shook her head. "I should not have said so much, and best say no more. It is not a matter to be discussed openly, even with other members of the Youth League."

"Phooey," Rikku grumbled.

"I suppose not," Paine agreed sullenly with Lucil. Inwardly, however, she figured that if she could just speak to Nooj herself, he might be willing to answer at least _some_ of her questions. He owed her _that_ much.

But then again… they hadn't exactly parted ways in a rational sense, had they? Paine now figured it would be for the best if she just remained as obscure as possible. It would be the best for her… it would probably be the best for Nooj… and _definitely_ for Yuna and Rikku.

"Until next time, then," Yuna told Lucil before leading Paine and Rikku away from the Youth League and towards the Celsius that was loyally waiting for their arrival.

But as they passed by one of the last tents, Yuna happened to glance in to see Clasko sitting dejectedly on the ground.

She stopped, and decided that he could use some company. She approached the open tent flap, catching her two friends' off guard, and completely surprising the young Youth. He stood up frantically as she poked her head inside.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked politely.

"Please do!" he told her, his face turning red. Yuna felt her face flush as well.

"Forgive me," she said. "I saw you and thought you looked rather lonely."

"Loneliness isn't what my problem is, Lady Yuna," Clasko said as Rikku and Paine joined the two inside the tent. "It's just that…" he glanced down unhappily. "Every time I try something new, I screw it up. I just don't know what I want to do with my life! I don't know where I belong! I've spent my whole life drifting from one failure to the next! But, I can't keep doing this forever… I know that there's a place for everyone in this world – even as sad and pathetic as me. I just… I want to find my place, Lady Yuna!"

"I know," she told him. "And, Clasko… I think there are a lot of people who feel the same as you do." He glanced up at her in surprise, and she nodded. "Everything changed when Sin was destroyed. And believe me, I've felt it too."

"Yeah!" Rikku jumped forward to help out. "There are so many possibilities now! You can do whatever you want!"

"But how do I find out?" Clasko asked.

"Ditch the Youth League, for starters," Rikku advised, rolling her eyes. "These guys won't even help us find a lousy sphere!" She winked. "Besides. No one likes politics."

"But I don't have anywhere to go," Clasko said.

"Well then," Yuna smiled warmly. "We'll just have to change that. Why don't you come with us, Clasko? We've got plenty of room on board the airship for you. And it will give you the opportunity to decide where to go from here."

Clasko looked stunned. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course!" Yuna said with laughter in her eyes. "The more the merrier!"

A huge weight seemed to lift off the young man, and his eyes filled with joyous tears. "Oh! I'll find my true calling yet, Lady Yuna! You'll see! Thank you so very much!"

"You're welcome," Paine grumbled. "Let's go."

So together, the four of them made their way back to the Celsius. Clasko was indeed welcomed with open arms, much to his delight. He could already see things beginning to look up – even if he _was_ a little overwhelmed with being inside an airship for the first time in his life. Such moments make you dizzy.

Brother, unsurprisingly, was simply _delighted_ to have Yuna back safely on the airship. Apparently, he had been worked up into a nervous frenzy when they realized the three women had left them behind. But now everything was the way it was supposed to be.

And seeing how it was getting to be so very late, the Gullwings decided to remain outside the Youth League headquarters for the rest of the night. They washed up, and went to sleep in each of their individual, familiar beds.

**ooooooo**


	9. Gippal

**ooooooo**

When Yuna woke up the next morning, the Celsius was alive underneath her, but had not actually flown anywhere. They were still hovering outside the Youth League headquarters, and when the Summoner glanced towards the other beds up on the loft with her, she saw that they had all been abandoned. Not for the first time, her friends had allowed her to sleep in, and were probably patiently waiting for her – perhaps hoping for the opportunity to tell her how messy her hair was.

No, not this group… she told herself, surprisingly saddened by that thought. For this group was _very_ different from the group who had teased her for such at the Djose Temple two years prior.

_Djose_… she reminisced. It wasn't too far from where they were at that moment.

Rising from her bed, she climbed down from the loft and turned to find Clasko sitting at the bar before Barkeep. Both glanced at her warmly – though Clasko still looked like he was having difficulty adjusting to life onboard the airship. Not that Yuna blamed him for it. It was quite the transition.

After visiting with the two of them for a few moments, Yuna made her way into the Celsius's cockpit, where, sure enough, the rest of the Gullwings were waiting for her.

"We've got great news, Yunie!" Rikku exclaimed as soon as she saw the Summoner. The other Al Bhed seemed to agree, but when Yuna glanced at Paine, the sphere hunter looked less than pleased.

"Okay then," Yuna said openly. "Let's hear it."

"You're gonna like this!" Rikku promised. "So, you know how well connected we Al Bhed are, right? Well, Brother just heard that a band from the Machine Faction have arrived in Djose to hire diggers for the Bikanel Desert! In all likeliness, there might be spheres there!"

Yuna considered that bit of news for a few moments. The Machine Faction wasn't quite a political party like the Youth League and New Yevon were. It was more of a neutral Al Bhed organization that dealt primarily with machina. And Bikanel Desert was, unsurprisingly, a desert island on which the Al Bhed had made their Home. If there were spheres there, digging through the desert sands would be, in Yuna's opinion, a worth-while experience.

She nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds promising. Let's do it!"

"And we shall!" Brother proclaimed. "Next stop! Djose!"

Paine rolled her eyes. "Great." Perhaps now, she thought glumly to herself, was a good time to get the idea of going on to Zanarkand out of her head. They wouldn't be reaching it at this rate _any_ time soon.

**ooooooo**

Djose was a small town on the edge of Mushroom Rock Road. And like the road had been, it had a rocky, solid, bleak appearance to it that nevertheless had a rugged beauty about it.

In the morning, it was cool and damp – but not uncomfortably so. The buildings seemed to be made out of the very earth beneath them, and there were some slabs of rock that stretched up towards the sky and sparkled with electricity. For that had been the element of the Djose Temple. Lightning. It was from that temple that Yuna had received her third Aeon – Ixion – a unicorn of lightning.

Yuna thought about the memories she had reflected on when she had awoken that morning. It struck her now that she was indeed in Djose again, as she had earlier wanted to be. It was often amazing how things worked out.

After she had defeated Sin two years ago, people had begun to distance themselves from the Temples. Which wasn't that surprising when they had learned the truth about Spira's spiral. Djose had been no exception either, and for a long time had remained as neglected as the other Temples. But now it seemed to be alive again with the Al Bhed and their Machine Faction. And honestly, Yuna wasn't sure how she felt about that.

What she _did_ know for sure was that walking towards the Temple through the town of Djose was rather uncomfortable. The people there, when they saw her, Paine, and Rikku, were all overcome by respect, but unlike the people from other parts of the world, _these_ silently kept their distance.

The last time Yuna had been in Djose had been immediately following the complete failure of Operation Mi'ihen. Most of the people she had interacted with at that time were either recovering from terrible injuries, or those from the Temple who were also aiding them. And so, the presence of the Lady Summoner was, indeed, a solemn one that greatly disheartened Yuna. Once again, there were just too many memories. Too many memories for too many people.

"Everyone's staring," she whispered uncomfortably to Paine and Rikku as they walked over two large bridges towards the Temple.

And for once, Rikku – as she had not been with them yet when Yuna and her Guardians had first passed through Djose – was completely oblivious to the deeper meaning behind her cousin's observation. "You're just that famous, Yunie. Haven't you gotten used to it, yet?"

Yuna's face flushed and she glanced down. This wasn't quite what she considered to be healthy attention. "All I want's some peace and quiet." At least some peace and quiet from the life she had had two years ago and wanted to put behind her now.

And Rikku, presently able to sense just how distressed her cousin really was by all of this, quickly jumped to make things well for her again. So she grinned at Paine. "Poor thing! She's led such a sheltered life."

Paine picked up on Rikku's intent, and for once appreciated something about the Al Bhed. She managed a smirk as well – following the girl's lead. It felt strange and foreign for her to do so… but it also reminded her of happier times, when fun and laughter had _not_ been so strange or foreign. "Maybe she's getting old."

Yuna stared at them gratefully, her heart feeling lighter already. "Who's getting old?"

Rikku was obviously about to reply to that, but before she could, she saw someone behind Yuna who immediately caught her attention. Her entire body grew stiff with surprise, jerking _completely_ upright, as her mouth fell open. "I don't-"

Yuna and Paine both turned to follow the Al Bhed's gaze, and almost immediately the latter felt the same overwhelming shock that Rikku had by whom they saw. Only Yuna didn't know who it was that had so astonished her two friends – though neither she nor Rikku had any idea that Paine was sharing the latter's reaction, for she did so quietly.

The man in question was most certainly an Al Bhed. He had the dark skin and the blonde hair to prove it. He dressed in loose greenish pants, probably for easy movement, and a thick gray tunic over which several bands were strapped to hold his many Al Bhed supplies. Over each shoulder he wore large and sturdy – if not soft at least in appearance – padding that were stripped both red and black. And to top it all off, over his right eye, he wore a single black patch. He didn't look to be too young, but in actuality, Rikku knew he was only around seventeen – which was deceptive, because he looked to be so much older, and already he had been through so much in his life that he hadn't much left of the naiveté that even the most mature of his age still possessed. On first glance one might not realize that… but it was still the truth.

"I don't believe it," Rikku whispered as the man walked with several other Al Bhed towards the Temple, blindly passing by Yuna and her two companions. They were all in deep conversation, and seemed perfectly oblivious to everything else around them. Rikku's body trembled slightly. "Brother didn't tell me that _he_ was gonna be here too!"

"You know him?" Paine asked, mildly surprised. Rikku nodded.

"Who is he?" Yuna asked, her gaze following him in interest.

"His name's Gippal," Rikku said, slowly beginning to calm down again. And then, her expression became irritated. "He's all right, but he _can_ be kind of annoying. He's the leader of the Machine Faction, and Brother didn't warn me he'd be here! I could so kill him right now."

"Who?" Paine asked. "Brother or Gippal?"

"Possibly either," Rikku grumbled, starting after the Al Bhed. Yuna glanced quickly at Paine, who seemed aggravated, but the two of them still followed Rikku close behind.

Closer towards the Temple, Yuna realized that there were several men and women who seemed to have been waiting for Gippal and his companions to arrive. They were probably looking for jobs as well, and slowly, the Gullwings joined their numbers.

Gippal was standing at the top of the stairs that led into the Temple with two other Al Bhed. They finished their conversation and the Faction leader faced the crowd. When he spoke, his voice was light, pleasant, and somewhat adolescent.

"Okay, let's do some interviews!" he suggested warmly. "Bring it!"

Yuna couldn't help but chuckle, and not even Rikku or Paine could deny that this man's high spirits were infectious. Both of them silently admitted to themselves – though definitely not to each other – that Gippal's manner was refreshing indeed.

Yuna nodded towards Rikku. "Yeah. He _does_ seem all right." Rikku rolled her eyes.

And so the interviews began. After all, Gippal wasn't just about to hire everyone and send an entire crowd out to Bikanel Island. It just didn't work that way.

As the three of them waited their turn, Rikku seemed slightly apprehensive. She could only imagine how Gippal would greet her, and it was already making her nervous. She would just have to impress him by finally taking up her goal to become more composed like Lulu. She would behave like a perfect adult, and maybe then he wouldn't recognize her! Yeah… that's what she would do!

After awhile, a young attendant with her hands full of papers saw the three Gullwings, and approached them. When she recognized Yuna, however, she stopped short. "My Lady!"

"Good morning," Yuna said considerately as the attendant stared. "We're here for an interview!"

"Really?" the woman looked shocked and flustered. "Oh me! I'm terribly sorry for making you wait! I wasn't aware! I mean!" She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Please. You are welcome to go straight into the Temple for an interview."

"Thank you," Yuna said. "We really do appreciate it." She glanced towards Rikku and Paine. "Ready?"

No.

Neither of them felt ready.

Rikku had never felt further away from Lulu in her life, and Paine had no idea what she would say when Gippal spotted her. And she had no doubt that he would. It was all the hunter could do to continue wearing that impassive expression of hers on her face.

"Of course," she lied. Yuna nodded, satisfied, and led the way towards the Temple.

There were a couple of Al Bhed standing guard at the top of the steps, by the entrance, making certain that everything remained in order. When they saw Yuna, however, and more importantly, when they saw Rikku, they were quick enough to open the doors for them.

It had been a long time since Yuna had walked inside a Temple. It felt somewhat haunting to be there, but there was relief to be found in the fact that the few other occupants were all Al Bhed. The difference it made was a blessing. Otherwise, Yuna felt certain the familiarity would have weighed down on her too heavily.

Gippal's back was to them, and as he spoke with his two companions, he sounded exceedingly bored. "E ryja ymnayto ehdanjeafat people. Uha uv oui kioc dyga ujan."

"Um," one of the Al Bhed's friends was staring past the man at the three Gullwings in amusement. "Gippal." He pointed.

"Hmm?" the man turned and glanced towards Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. However, he didn't notice the last, for Yuna and Rikku caught his immediate attention, and, besides, Paine was standing apart from them, deeper into the shadows.

Rikku crossed her arms in disapproving disgust, turning towards Yuna. "Well apparently we can just forget about getting a job!" Here her voice turned mockingly childish. "Gippal's already interviewed people and now he wants a break!" She shook her head in contempt. "What a joke, right?"

So much for trying to be composed like Lulu…

Yuna stared at her friend in amazement. "Rikku…?"

But Gippal recovered quicker than Yuna could chastise. He smirked. "Well, if it isn't Cid's girl! How've _you_ been?" There was _definitely_ contempt in his voice as well… but it was a very fond sort of contempt. And Yuna suddenly realized that the two of them truly did know each other very well. At least well enough to be capable of throwing well-meaning insults at each other. They must have been friends.

"I have a name, you know!" Rikku spat.

Gippal's smirk turned into a grin. "Yeah. Right. Brother doing okay?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Same as ever. Buddy's around, too."

"The whole gang, huh?" Gippal nodded. "Now I feel like I'm missing out."

"Don't be ridiculous," the girl snapped.

From where Paine stood in her distance, she surprised herself by feeling slightly envious of Rikku. And she wished that she could walk up as easily as the Al Bhed could to old acquaintances as if no time had passed at all. Being this close to Gippal – even if he hadn't noticed her yet – was like stepping backwards in time. And Paine regretted more than she ever had before that things couldn't be like they once were.

Gippal had, by that time, turned his attention towards Yuna. "Wow. You, um… really here for an interview?"

"Yep," Yuna nodded confidently and Rikku couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction at Gippal's obvious and awkward discomfort.

He shook his head skeptically, wondering if this was Rikku's idea of a joke. "The great High Summoner wants an interview?"

Yuna nodded, even as she corrected him. "Former Summoner." She was a sphere hunter now. And she didn't want to be haunted by the expressions she had seen on the faces of those people outside the Temple for the rest of her life. She wanted to be free from that.

Gippal widened his eyes in obvious doubt, but nevertheless seemed to be accepting. He approached Yuna, considering. "Okay." He frowned, tilting his head. "Never been this close to a celebrity before."

Yuna bit her lip, glancing at Rikku, who looked fed up. "That's nice."

"Right." Suddenly, a sly smile formed on Gippal's face as he looked back at Rikku jokingly. "I could get used to this," he winked.

Rikku was about to open her mouth to object, but Yuna beat her to it. She spoke firmly and bluntly. "Let's not."

Gippal glanced at her even as Rikku laughed out loud.

"Ha!" she laughed in his face. "How's _that_ for rejection?"

Gippal shook his head, even as the two other Al Bhed who were present chuckled as well. He sighed, taking a large step back. "I suppose you win this time, gal. But don't think I won't forget it."

"I know you won't," Rikku shot back. "None of us-" here she gestured towards herself and the two other Al Bhed, "-will _let_ you."

Gippal laughed. "Right." At that moment he finally made it a point to inspect the third member of their party – whom he _had_ sensed behind Yuna – but whom he had paid no mind to up until now.

Once he had a good look at her, however, that changed _very_ quickly. "You!"

"Huh?" Yuna and Rikku both glanced at Paine, who managed to remain outwardly calm even though her heart had begun racing faster and faster.

"The name's Paine," she told Gippal coldly. "Nice to meet you."

"Uh… huh…?" He stared at her, looking somewhat hurt by her words.

And though that offered Paine slight encouragement, she couldn't let it show. So she feigned impatience. "We're here for the interview."

"Right," Gippal forced himself to snap out of it. Paine, he figured, must have her reasons, though it did sadden him that she wouldn't acknowledge him as she might have. There was a lot he would have liked to talk to her about, but… perhaps he should just take comfort in knowing that she was still alive. He scratched the back of his head. "The interview." Never in his life had such a task seemed so trivial to him than that interview did just at that one moment.

He sighed, and looked back towards Rikku, forcing himself to not concentrate on his past with Paine. "I suppose you and Brother know all about the project we're working on out there."

"Same as always," Rikku guessed.

"Mm hmm," he nodded, turning towards Yuna with a baffled sigh. "You sure you want to dig?" He looked from Yuna to Rikku to Paine. "'Cause we're talking about the desert, ladies. Not exactly a picnic."

"We're sure," Yuna stated. After all, they _did_ have spheres to find.

"All right," Gippal shrugged, glancing at Paine and then towards Rikku. "You're hired." He smiled at Yuna, who looked stunned.

"Huh?"

His smile broadened. "You. Are. Hired." He shrugged. "Don't know why a superstar like you would want to play in the sand… Well, do what you gotta do. And anyway, I've done what I can. Dig to your heart's content."

"Um," Yuna hesitated. "Thanks."

"No problem," he turned towards one of his companions, who immediately handed him a piece of parchment. Gippal took a minute to look it over, than grabbed a pen and shabbily scribbled something down onto it – without the use of a hard surface, no less! He handed it to Yuna. "Show this letter to a woman named Nhadala. You'll find her in the Bikanel Desert." At this he smiled. "Happy digging!"

Yuna nodded her thanks.

Before anything else was said, however, Paine saw Gippal looking at her again, rather curiously… and also expectantly. And she suddenly felt a terribly strong desire to get back onboard the Celsius – far away from him.

Shooting a frown his way, she stiffly turned around and walked out of the Temple. She didn't speak a single word, and she didn't look back. To Rikku, she just seemed uninterested, as always. But Yuna knew better.

"Paine, wait up!" she hurried after the woman, stopping only to look back at Gippal one last time. "Thank you." Then she turned again and pursued the sphere hunter.

Rikku hesitated, looking up at Gippal. As much as she pretended to revile him, she suddenly felt reluctant to leave. The two of them hadn't spent much time together in far too long, and it had felt surprisingly refreshing to do so now.

Gippal noticed her look and smiled at her gently. "You better catch up with your friends, or Brother'll leave without you."

"Ha," she shot back. "And then _you'd_ be stuck with me!"

"And I can't think of a worse torture," he joked. Gently, he shoved Rikku after her companions. "Get going. You've got a lot of desert to dig up."

"Right," Rikku grinned, and then hurried after Paine and Yuna.

**ooooooo**


	10. The Desert

**A/N:** I'd just like to take a quick moment to thank Motet, Terroroz, and Naoki07 for their reviews. Especially Motet. It's very encouraging, thank you. This next chapter is a very important one for Rikku, I think. I hope you all enjoy it, and I really would like to get some reviews for it. Thanks!

**ooooooo**

As the Celsius started off towards Bikanel Island, the Gullwings had all gathered in the cockpit. And much to Brother's dismay, not all of them were entirely pleased.

Rikku had begun shouting at him in Al Bhed the very moment she had entered the room. And even now, some time later, after having cooled off somewhat, she would still shoot him piercing glances to remind him that he was not forgiven. The fact was that she was furious at having been sent to Djose without forewarning of Gippal's presence.

Paine, too, had been in a sour mood since boarding the airship. Yuna could tell that this also had something to do with Gippal, for it had been obvious that he had recognized her from somewhere. But the fact remained that if Paine had wanted to share those details with the Summoner, she would not have spoken that way to the well-meaning Al Bhed. And so, Yuna did not ask about it. She had to hope that when the sphere hunter was ready to, she would bring herself to open up a little bit.

And so it was that the Gullwings made their way to the island of Bikanel.

It had once been the beloved Home of the Al Bhed. But two years ago, the Guado, following Yevon, had seen it destroyed. Now, most of the Al Bhed had moved on, but not all of them. Some still remained, and rumors spoke of countless machina buried beneath the desert's sands.

When they reached it, Brother gently landed the Celsius and looked back at his sister. "Rikku-"

"Yeah, yeah!" Rikku glared at him. "I know the way!" She turned and haughtily carried herself out of the cockpit.

"Don't worry," Yuna spoke to the dejected Al Bhed. "I don't think Rikku can stay mad at even _you_ for very long."

"Yuna!" Brother beamed, his spirits rising instantly.

Paine rolled her eyes and started after Rikku, with Yuna directly on her heels. When they climbed out of the airship and were once again outside, only Rikku seemed unable to feel the heat. The sun struck down hard on the arid sand, offering no relief whatsoever. Yuna hesitated because of it.

"Don't worry," Paine told her calmly. "The Al Bhed have placed several small outposts around the desert to offer food, shelter, and medical supplies. It's not a difficult land to cross."

Rikku stared at her in surprise. "You've been here before?" Paine nodded, but said nothing further, so the Al Bhed girl just shrugged. "All right, then! Leave the trailblazing to me!"

Paine scoffed. "Feeling better?"

"Oh yeah!" Rikku nodded. She glanced apologetically at Yuna. "I'm not really angry at Brother. It's just an act to remind him not to do that kind of thing again. He needs to remember who's in charge!"

"Isn't he?" Yuna asked with a smile, and Rikku just rolled her eyes.

"Follow me!" she exclaimed, and they started off into the desert.

**ooooooo**

By the time the sun was midway into the sky, Yuna was completely turned around. Her body was soaked with sweat, and her lips were growing parched with thirst. It was extremely uncomfortable. Rikku, however, only looked mildly warm – which wasn't that surprising, the Summoner decided. She had, after all, been raised there.

The real surprise was in Paine, who looked as at ease in the desert as the Al Bhed were. Yuna figured the only explanation was that the sphere hunter had spent a great deal of time on that island – in order to have grown so used to it. Which, of course, led to the question of exactly when Paine had done so, and for what? But Yuna, regardless of her curiosity, did not bring herself to ask about it.

Eventually, they came to a small stretch of sand that seemed to completely astonish Rikku. For the first time since their arrival, the girl stopped short with a clear expression of hesitation. She looked around in confusion. "I don't get it… This is the place…"

Yuna and Paine both glanced around, but they could saw nothing new that they hadn't already seen five minutes ago. Just the endless desert continuing on bleakly in all directions, with no sign of civilization anywhere. Yuna frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Rikku stated. She hesitated, whimpering slightly, for a minute before taking off to their left.

"Rikku!" Yuna started after her in concern. "What are you doing!"

"I'm getting us to the camp!" the girl called over her shoulder.

Paine crossed her arms. This wasn't necessarily the smartest thing that they had ever done. Nevertheless, she hastened to follow.

An eternity seemed to pass as Rikku shot through the desert. More than once, Yuna had to stop, growing dizzy, wherein the Al Bhed would order her to sit down and drink some water from their canteen. In doing so, Paine's respect for the girl shot up. Despite everything, Rikku _could_ make a decent Guardian who took care of the Summoner in her own environment.

But even still, their supply of water could not last forever, and there was still definitely no sign of any excavation camp.

Paine frowned as Yuna drank the last few drops in the canteen. "We should have brought more."

"It wasn't supposed to take this long!" Rikku objected. "I don't get it!" She stared angrily at a large sand dune piled up high in the distance. "_That_ didn't use to be there!"

"Well it's there now!" Paine told her severely.

"I know!" she whined.

Yuna glanced at her in concern. "Are we in trouble?"

"I don't-" Rikku spun on her heel to look back at the Summoner, but something behind Yuna caught her attention and her face blanched of color. "Oh. Well that explains it."

"Huh?" Both Yuna and Paine turned around to follow Rikku's gaze. And what they saw reminded them each of a large, large cloud that was several shades too dark. And though it was still a long, _long_ way off, all three of them felt a growing chill.

"A sandstorm," Paine muttered.

"It's not coming towards us, is it?" Yuna asked in alarm.

"No," the sphere hunter assured her. "It already past. It's moving away from us."

"Which is actually just as bad," Rikku grumbled. She gestured back towards the unfamiliar sand dune. "Now I won't recognize _any_ of the geography, and all signs of camp will have been blown away!"

"So then you're lost, too?" Yuna sounded horrified.

Rikku exhaled unhappily before pulling out her receiver. "Brother? Can you hear me?"

No. Her only reply was static. Though the storm had past and was now far off in the distance, it was still taking a toll on her machina.

"That's just great," Paine scowled.

"So what do we do now?" Yuna asked, uncertainly.

"Make for the closest outpost," Rikku suggested, starting off once again. "And wait until our signal can reach the Celsius again."

So they walked.

And walked.

For as long as they could, they walked, with the sun bearing down savagely on their backs. Before long, Yuna had to rest, and she collapsed miserably to her knees.

She was just so tired. So hot and so tired… Her hands tightened – even as fistfuls of sand burned her skin. She just… needed to close her eyes…

"Yuna!"

The Summoner jerked awake to find Rikku kneeling in front of her, holding her shoulders and shaking her forcefully. "You can't go to sleep!"

"I can't?" Yuna asked wearily. Her body felt light… so light…

"Stay awake, Yuna," Paine commanded.

"Okay," Yuna agreed. And yet… she couldn't help but close her eyes again… Just for a moment…

Everything went dark.

**ooooooo**

"…vunafusyh."

Yuna woke up in surprise, looking around. _Where am I?_

There were two others standing near her – in what appeared to be a tent. One of them had been talking, but now, they both glanced towards the Summoner in surprise. Yuna sat up, looking at them in confusion. "What happened."

She didn't recognize either of them. But, much to her relief, they looked like Al Bhed.

That was confirmed when one – a woman – glanced at the other in spoke in Rikku's tongue. "Paddan ku damm dra vunafusyh." The other – a man – nodded, and hastened out of the tent.

The woman walked over and sat down on the floor beside the bedroll Yuna suddenly realized she had been sleeping on. The woman smiled. "I'm glad to see you're awake. Rikku's been very worried."

"Where is she?" Yuna asked, glancing around, hoping to find someone else in the tent that she knew. But there was no one.

"She and your other friend are speaking with Nhadala, our forewoman," the Al Bhed said. "They're both fine, I promise. A couple of our scouts found the three of you during their patrols not fifteen minutes after you fainted."

"Patrols?" Yuna asked.

"Of course," the woman nodded. "We have fiends here, just like anywhere else."

"I see," Yuna nodded.

"You're actually very lucky, Lady Summoner," the woman said, growing solemn. "We've been having fierce sandstorms lately. More than usual. Nhadala had us move camp two nights ago in order to avoid the last storm. As well as Rikku knows this island, she could have searched for days without ever finding it."

"Oh," Yuna frowned. "But you're still excavating, right?"

The woman smiled again. "Of course we are. Rikku told us all about your hunt for spheres, and I promise you, as long as you stay hydrated for the rest of the night, by tomorrow you should be well enough to help at the dig site. Nhadala already agreed to it."

"Well that's good news," Yuna sighed, causing the Al Bhed to laugh.

"Try to relax, my Lady," she suggested, standing up and walking to the tent flap. "I'll tell Rikku that you're awake."

**ooooooo**

The night passed slowly for Yuna – she could hardly sleep. The tent she was in was being shared by several other Al Bhed, including Rikku, and Paine. But they were all resting at ease in deep slumber.

Rikku had been hysterical when she had found Yuna awake. She had gone on and on about being an insufficient Guardian – allowing the Summoner to faint like that. It had taken a great deal of comfort from Yuna to calm her down again. Paine, however, had hardly seemed to care about Rikku's turmoil, and remained silent throughout the evening.

Later on, Yuna had been introduced to Nhadala. The woman was older than Rikku, and much more self-possessed. She had actually reminded Yuna of Captain Lucil – though by physical appearance, she _did_ resemble Rikku a great deal more than the red-head.

She had been nice enough, though – quickly gaining Yuna's great appreciation by treating her no differently than she would anybody else. In fact, her words had been: _"I guess the High Summoner's hard up, too. Well, don't be expecting any special treatment."_

Yuna didn't, and she was grateful for it – especially after the incident in Djose where no one could turn away from her. So that was it, then, she thought. Trust her mother's people to cast aside rank and tradition in favor of heart and personality. It angered some people – her father's people mostly – up in Bevelle – but all in all, many in Spira were beginning to see them as men and women, and were growing to appreciate their views on life as well. After all… they had been right about Sin all along… hadn't they?

Two years ago the Al Bhed had kidnapped as many Summoners as they could to keep them from finishing their pilgrimage. They had believed Summoners shouldn't sacrifice themselves to fight off Sin. There had to have been a better way.

In fact, not many people knew this, but it had been because of the Al Bhed that _he_ had learned the truth. Up until his arrival at Home – during its ultimate destruction – he had been completely oblivious to the fact that Yuna was heading towards her own death. It was on Bikanel Island that Rikku revealed the truth to him. And from that point on, he had been determined to save Yuna from that. He had been determined to find another way to defeat Sin. And he had.

Such were the thoughts passing through Yuna's mind that night as the others slept. It was cold outside – a great difference from the afternoon's heat. And even under her thick covers on the ground, Yuna felt her body shiver. Wherever _he_ was right now, Yuna wondered, was he cold, as well?

Someone moved in the darkness nearby her. Yuna turned her head, watching as Paine crept towards the tent flap. She went silently, and considering how she dressed completely in black, Yuna was surprised her eyes could make the sphere hunter out.

So she had been mistaken. Yuna frowned. She wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep. But what exactly was keeping Paine awake?

Curious, Yuna crawled out of her bedroll and proceeded on her hands and knees towards the tent flap. She peered outside.

With the moon shining down brightly along with the stars, Yuna could make Paine out a few feet away from the tents – her pale skin illuminant as if she were a ghost. Presently, she was kneeling on the sand, and placing down something on the ground.

_The Crimson Sphere…_

Yuna knew she shouldn't watch this, but something kept her from turning away.

An image appeared above the sphere – and even in the darkness, Yuna could see it, because all holograms projected some light.

The image seemed to have been recorded in a cave. And as Yuna watched, she was horrified to see several bodies being evenly documented. _What was Paine doing with a sphere like this? _It looked like there had been a massacre!

Somewhere out of sight, a voice could be heard. Yuna recognized it immediately. Ormi…

"Let's see. Total survivors of the final Crimson Squad selection exercise: zero, zilch, and zippal. Job done."

"Oh… you pinhead. Did you even count?"

Logos?

It seemed like there could have been some more to the sphere, but sudden static caused the image to abruptly dissipate. Yuna glanced towards Paine, and even at a distance, in the darkness, she could tell the woman was displeased. _Extremely_ displeased.

Those spheres were of special interest to her. Why? What was it that had happened to Paine in her past? And what was the Crimson Squad? Why had they all been killed?

Yuna wished she could answer those questions, but at that moment, there was no way for her to. And when Paine gathered up the crimson sphere and started back towards the tent, the Summoner could do nothing but return to her bedroll and try once again to fall asleep.

**ooooooo**

The next morning found Yuna, Paine, and Rikku standing in a different tent with Nhadala and a few other Al Bhed. They had eaten a decent breakfast, and now were ready to get down to business.

"Here's where we are," Nhadala said, holding up a small device in her hand which projected an image of an island map. She pointed, then gestured to another small location to the north west. "And here's where you're headed."

"Aw," Rikku whined. "But it's so far!"

Nhadala glanced at her. "We'll send you out there by hover. Picket will see you safely." She nodded towards a male Al Bhed who was casually sitting in a chair. He gave Yuna a mock salute, even as he smirked at Rikku.

She rolled her eyes and whispered to the Summoner: "Don't worry. He's not as bad as Gippal!" Yuna grinned.

The hover was waiting outside. It was a large piece of machina that floated about a foot off the ground. The seats had no roof over them, but there _were_ belts to strap into and rails to hold onto. No one seemed too worried about the means of transportation, and Yuna found herself anticipating the ride.

As Rikku helped her work the belt buckles, the pilot turned in his chair to shoot her a smile. "Make sure you hold on tight, Lady Yuna."

"I will," she promised as Rikku turned towards Paine. But the sphere hunter had already buckled herself in securely and just glared back the girl impassively.

"Wow," Rikku said with a shrug. "You really _have_ spent some time on this island, haven't you?"

"Let's go," Paine ordered. Yuna glanced at her uncomfortably, but Rikku didn't seem to mind – she didn't even seem to notice, really, and climbed up next to her cousin. Picket was sitting behind her. Leaning forward, he said something in Al Bhed while glancing at Paine, probably making some kind of joke.

"Crid ib," Rikku turned around and smacked him upside the head, even as Paine looked over her shoulder at him in such a way that he regretted his words more so than he would after receiving _any_ kind of abuse from Rikku.

And so they flew out to the excavation site. It was known as the Western Expanse, and was surrounded completely by several large dunes. The hover parked near the center, where a few other early workers had equipment out as they dug and set about performing various tasks.

Almost immediately, Picket had Yuna, Rikku, and Paine at work – placing them in three different areas where they could dig and use various machina to detect appropriate digging zones. It was dirty work – but here the Al Bhed were properly supplied with food and water, and they _did_ have tents set up to offer shelter from the sun whenever it was needed. And _this_ time around, Rikku often snuck over towards Yuna – much to Picket's dismay – simply to make absolutely sure the Summoner wouldn't dehydrate again.

Other than that – when Rikku wasn't worrying or being scolded by an offended Picket – who would ask her whether or not she trusted her own people to keep Yuna on her feet – the girl simply _enjoyed_ herself. She _thrived_ in such conditions – with the sun bearing down at her, and her hands growing dirty with grease and oil from the machina that made her feel completely whole whenever she operated them. And she did so beautifully, at that.

She turned out to be a natural excavator. By the day's end, she had used various machina to detect _loads_ of treasures buried beneath the sands. A lot of the tools she used were pieces of technology far beyond Yuna's level of comprehension – and even some of the other Al Bhed watched her at work, impressed. Paine, too, despite herself, appreciated Rikku's talents. When it came to machina, the girl knew what she was about.

"I'll tell ya," Picket said at the end of the day, shaking his head at the beaming girl. "Your dad's taught you well."

"Right!" Rikku boasted. "There isn't any machina anywhere that I can't handle!"

Nhadala, who had arrived on the expanse an hour earlier, heard Rikku's comment as she approached the group. She crossed her arms. "Don't let it go to your head." Picket protested, which brought Nhadala to sigh. "But you did do a good job. Here's your reward." She tossed Rikku a sphere. "Our friend, young Shinra, sent me data on making dresspheres. I've attempted a few, but this is the only one that's really shown any positive results. I'll tell you, that kid really _can_ afford to let stuff go to his head. It's yours."

Rikku grinned. "And _that's_ what we came for!" She showed Paine and Yuna their newly acquired dressphere.

Yuna smiled. "Thank you."

Nhadala nodded. "We should be thanking you. Now, if you would return with us to the camp, we'll share a dinner, and you can decide whether you wish to work here again in the morning, or continue on with your journey."

**ooooooo**

When morning finally did come, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine decided that they were ready to move on. One day of digging through the sand was enough for their satisfaction, _and_, they had recovered a sphere – accomplishing their true goal. It was time to move forward.

They bade farewell to Nhadala – who invited them to return whenever they wished to – and rode the hover with Picket back over the desert to where the Celsius had dropped them off, and was now loyally awaiting their return.

"It was good meeting you, Lady Yuna," Picket told the Summoner. "And in case no one's told you yet, if you ever need a home, you're welcome with us."

"Thank you," Yuna nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Enough with the long good-byes!" Rikku exclaimed, jumping off the hover and running towards the airship. "We have places to be!"

Paine nodded, and together, she and Yuna followed the Al Bhed girl up to the Celsius.

**ooooooo**


	11. Waiting Till Nightfall in the Moonflow

**ooooooo**

As the Celsius moved away from Bikanel Island, Yuna, Paine, and Rikku once again gathered in the cockpit. Brother was waiting anxiously to see his sister – though he definitely demonstrated his devotion to Yuna as well when she arrived – but for once he was more worried about Rikku's possible continued wrath than anything else.

Fortunately for him, the Al Bhed girl seemed to have moved past her anger about her surprise encounter with Gippal. She didn't even mention it as she pranced in with a beaming smile on her face.

"We got a new dressphere!" she told Brother and Shinra triumphantly. She handed it over to the boy genius for him to inspect.

"Wow," he nodded appreciatively. "Nice."

"Now what?" Buddy asked as Paine walked some distance away from the rest of the group and crossed her arms impassively, waiting. Maybe _now_ they could go to Zanarkand.

Or not.

The Celsius was presently flying over a stretch of land that had caught Yuna's attention. She raced towards the great ship's windshield and peered out over the landscape in sudden wonder.

"Is that-?"

"The Moonflow?" Buddy asked, walking up behind her. He nodded. "Sure is. And ain't she a beauty?"

"I wanna see!" Rikku raced over to them, with Brother at her back. Only Paine and Shinra did not join them – as one didn't particularly care, and the other was too busy admiring their new dressphere.

The Moonflow was a gorgeous piece of rugged tranquility. It was something of a marsh, bordered on one side by soft green hills and trees, and on the other by a large lake of clear water that was shaded somewhat pink and green – the color came from the moonlilies. It was one of the most beautiful regions in all of Spira.

"I've never seen it from the sky before," Yuna explained gently, unable to tear her gaze away. "I've always wanted to-"

She stopped short before she could finish her thoughts, and glanced down sorrowfully.

But Brother wouldn't have it. He turned towards her with an obnoxiously inquisitive expression. "You always wanted to what?"

Yuna looked up, and smiled. Rikku turned towards her – the only one who could tell her cousin's smile was forced. "I always wanted to go there, and wait till nightfall."

Paine bit her lip, holding in her frustration. So much for going straight to Zanarkand. Now that Yuna had stated her desire, Brother would be sure to see it through.

And sure enough: "Then we shall land by the Moonflow!"

"Really?" Yuna asked, glancing at him hopefully. Brother nodded.

"We shall! We shall!"

And only a few short minutes later, they did.

Silently, Yuna led the Gullwings off the airship. For once, Brother and Buddy joined them – though not Shinra. He was more interested in his gadgets and spheres and computers than a walk in the Moonflow.

Nevertheless, Yuna smiled as she took in the sight of all the people who _were_ there, and were either sitting or strolling, with friends and loved ones, as they treasured the beautiful morning as she wished to.

It really wasn't that much different than how she remembered it from two years before. Despite all the changes Spira had gone through, its landscape pretty much remained the same. The one difference she did notice, here and there, was that many of these people were wearing smiles. They could now spend their time noticing the beauty around them.

Yuna sighed. "This is nice."

"Yeah it is!" Rikku agreed, bounding forward. "Look at all these people, Yunie! They're finally able to travel around Spira, enjoying themselves, and learning more about the rest of the world! Times sure have changed – and for the better!"

Paine found herself agreeing. The people here… they did look happy. She figured, despite all the turmoil in _her_ life, for the most part, Spira was no longer suffering as it once had. "Thanks to you, Yuna."

"I had nothing to do with it," the Summoner whispered, looking towards the ground.

Rikku put her hands on her hips. "Don't be modest, Yunie! It's okay! Go on! Give yourself a pat on the back!"

"But I'm not being modest," Yuna objected, glancing first at Rikku, than at Paine, Brother, and Buddy – all of whom were staring at her in disbelief. She turned back towards her cousin. "If it had been just me, nothing would have changed."

"Yuna!" Brother objected, but she ignored him.

Turning round, she walked towards the edge of the water, and knelt down by the lilies. Hovering over the lake, there was a small cluster of pyreflies – small, glowing spherical creatures that often reacted to the memories of the people around them. They were what Yuna had truly wanted to see when coming here. For… they reminded her of him.

She closed her eyes, and reminisced.

_"These are moonlilies," she had once said, a long time ago. She turned her head, and glanced at _him_. "They say that clouds of pyreflies gather here when night falls."_

_Lulu nodded, walking forward to stare out over the water. "The entire river glows, like a sea of stars."_

He_ had been impressed. Opening his mouth slightly, he whistled, trying to imagine the wonder of such a thing. "Really?" He suddenly turned so that he faced both Yuna, and the rest of her Guardians, with a wide smile. "Hey! I got an idea!"_

_Auron shook his head, knowing right away what the boy's idea had been. He spoke with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "We're not waiting till nightfall."_

_"Oh…" the young Guardian glanced down. But as quickly as he had, he looked back up enthusiastically. "Then, once we beat Sin, we're coming back!"_

The memory caused Yuna to flinch, and she opened her eyes again, regretfully. He had not known then… That it would be impossible for them to ever have that chance.

And she had wanted it so…

Yuna blinked several times, before glancing around towards others. Not towards the Gullwings, but the other people of Spira… who were there to enjoy the Moonflow as they hadn't been able to two years ago. It seemed like… so many of them were in pairs… coupled off… and happy. Like Yuna should be… but wasn't.

Rikku plopped down beside her. "Do you remember, Yunie? On the other side of the lake, I became your Guardian!"

Yuna nodded. "How could I forget?"

Before Rikku could answer, Paine walked up behind them. "It's still just morning. Night won't come for awhile. Are we really going to wait here for it all day?"

"You know?" Yuna asked, looking up at her with a smile. "You remind me a lot of someone I used to know, Paine. He didn't like to delay either."

Paine stared at her for a moment, and then turned her face away. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Yuna pushed herself up to her feet, with Rikku at her side, and together, the three of them started walking along the shore.

Eventually, they found themselves approaching a small wagon, next to which a small little figure was frantically sorting through various materials. Yuna tilted her head curiously, before stopping next to the little guy, and bending down to say hello.

The figure spun around, and nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the Lady Summoner. He literally squawked in surprise.

Standing only about two feet high, the creature had large eyes and a beak. It almost resembled a large penguin, clad in bright red robes. Rikku thought he was the most _adorable_ little thing!

"Lady Yuna!" the creature squeaked, forcing himself to calm down. "It is an honor! A great, great honor!"

"What are you doing?" Yuna asked, sincerely interested, causing Paine to roll her eyes and turn away.

"On this spot, I'll be sponsoring an extraordinary show!" the creature told her vigorously. "Do, _do_ come! Oh!" He flapped his two wing-like arms as a side thought occurred to him. "I'm Tobli! Yup, yup!" He was now hopping up and down – each of his little hops bringing him up slowly about a foot in the air before bringing him back down again – just as slowly. It was quite a curious sight. "It will be splendid indeed! Mark my words! People here and there… and merriment everywhere!"

Yuna smiled, even as Rikku hopped up and down herself. "Hey, that sounds like fun!" Tobli beamed at her encouraging words. And she wasn't even done yet! "Okay! Well, we'll see you then!"

Yuna nodded, and was about to move along when she noticed a bleak expression crawl over Tobli's face. She hesitated, and looked back down at him. "What's the matter?"

"It's just that…" It was Tobli's turn to hesitate – but only until he shook his head wildly back and forth for a moment, coming to a decision. He looked imploring at Yuna – with both his large black eyes opening even wider. "I have a favor to ask of you!"

"Hmm?" Yuna tilted her head.

But Paine and Rikku wouldn't be used. Paine reached for the Summoner's arm. "Let's go."

"Right-o!" Rikku agreed. "We're sphere hunters now! We don't do the whole errand running thing!"

The girl hopped backwards several feet, watching as Paine pulled Yuna gently away. And the Summoner followed – but only for a few feet. Then she stopped, and looked back at Tobli.

He kept staring at her entreatingly, but said not a word.

There was a pause.

And then Yuna looked at Paine and Rikku. "Oh, let's just hear him out!"

Rikku let out a loud, exasperated sigh, but then just giggled. Paine, however, though she _did_ release Yuna's arm without objection, was clearly frustrated.

The Summoner looked at Tobli. "What's wrong?"

Tobli had visibly brightened, and now he hopped forward to explain. "Well, here's the thing, you see. My able assistant hasn't come back, yet. From Luca, of course. Where else? He went to fetch some supplies, which are vitally, crucially, important! For the show, you see."

"'Go check on him,' right?" Rikku guessed.

Tobli nodded. "Oh quite, quite!"

Paine glared at him. "Why ask us?"

"Because you're sphere hunters!" Tobli happily informed her, turning back to his wagon and starting to sort through it once again. "And sphere hunters hunt spheres!" Turning back triumphantly a moment later, the small penguin-like creature held up a small glowing dressphere.

Rikku's mouth opened in anticipation. "All right! That settles it!"

Yuna looked at Paine with a slight shrug. "Well. You wanted something to do until nightfall, right?"

Paine just crossed her arms and looked away.

"Right, right!" Tobli nodded enthusiastically. "It's yours if you return my assistant safely back to safety. I'm thinking he must be over in the general vicinity of Djose Temple. Oh! And he's a Hypello!"

The same species as Barkeep, up in the Celsius. Yuna nodded. "That isn't too far!"

"Leave it to the Gullwings!" Rikku exclaimed. "We'll be back in no time!" With that, she turned and started towards the airship, keeping a sharp eye out for Brother and Buddy.

Yuna and Paine were quick to follow.

As it turned out, there was indeed a wandering Hypello, dragging a large cart full of supplies behind him, on the road between Djose and the Youth League's headquarters. It had not taken the Gullwings that long at all to reach the area in the airship, and it only took a few hours after that for them to search the road up and down until they found Tobli's poor lost assistant.

Needless to say, he had been very grateful for their concern, and even _more_ grateful for their offer to escort him back to the Moonflow in the Celsius. He accepted the ride eagerly.

And so they made their way back to the marshland, and witnessed the Hypello reunite with his "chief." Once again, Rikku found the whole event absolutely adorable.

Tobli turned towards them gratefully. "You've all been most helpful! Yup, yup! And with this," he gestured towards the second wagonload of goods from Luca. "The show is just a step away from a smashing success! Here! As promised!" He reached for the sphere, and handed it to Paine, hoping to win the favor of the least enthusiastic Gullwing.

It had definitely been a step in the right direction, on the little thing's part. Paine actually nodded her thanks.

"Yup, yup!" Tobli turned towards Yuna and Rikku. "It's such a good, fuzzy feeling… meeting reliable people persons such as yourselves. Yessiree!"

"You're very welcome," Yuna told him, with laughter in her voice.

"Just remember!" Rikku added, holding up a finger. "It was the Gullwings that helped you out!"

After Tobli promised he would never forget, the three of them made their way over towards the water once again. It was still bright out, but they all knew that night was not that far away. Their little search for the Hypello had seen the day go by rather quickly, and before long, they could see the sun beginning to set.

Gradually, more and more pyreflies began to come out. Small as they were, they each left a trail of glittering light shining in their wake for a few mere seconds before that light dispersed. And as round as they were – faceless, armless, legless, even wingless, they almost resembled solid bubbles that just _couldn't_ burst apart or drift away into nothing.

The light they generated began glowing brighter, as the stars in the sky came out. Yuna stood, stepping forward, and both Paine and Rikku kept their distance, watching, but not intrusive. Yuna's thoughts, they both could tell, were not to be interrupted.

The river reflected the light of the stars, the moon, and the pyreflies. It seemed to glow. It was rare to ever see _anything_ more beautiful. And all around the Moonflow, people were standing, silently, and watchful.

Because of the pyreflies, there were _so_ many memories here. But at the same time, there was a lot of hope, and dreams of the future that had yet to come.

Paine glanced curiously at Rikku. "Yuna passed this way on her pilgrimage, did she not?"

"Yeah," Rikku nodded quietly. "But I joined her journey on the other side of the lake. I wasn't with her when she arrived right here." She shrugged. For once, neither of them had any idea of what was going on in Yuna's mind.

The fact was, she was once again thinking about one individual Guardian.

_"Hey! I got an idea!"_

_"We're not waiting till nightfall."_

_"Oh. Then, once we beat Sin, we're coming back!"_

Yuna sighed.

She had finally made it back. And, now that it was night, the lake was indeed most beautiful. She knew she could stay there forever.

But she didn't want to. Not without him…

_This isn't how it's supposed to be…_

Yuna's lower lip trembled slightly. And as the night grew darker, she dreamt of a dream that had passed from existence two very long years ago.

**ooooooo**


	12. Macalania

**A/N:** Thanks, everyone, for all your reviews. Especially Naoki07. I'm glad you love it so much! And Hypercrazy14, I hope you beat the game soon so that you can finish reading this! I really do love the reviews, and I'm so appreciative of the encouragement. Keep them coming, and enjoy this next chapter!

Thanks!

**ooooooo**

The next morning, the Gullwings once again boarded the airship, and continued their flight north. It was pleasing to Paine that, for once, they continued on without pausing in every region that they came to.

For example, they did not stop when they flew over the infamous Guadosalam – home of the Guado. Home of the late Lord Seymour, who had been only been half human, making him the ideal representative of his father's people among his mother's. It had been a great shock to the people of Spira once his treachery – along with the treachery of all the other Maesters of Yevon – had been discovered.

Now, The Guado no longer lived in Guadosalam. For they were no longer welcome there. They were no longer welcome in Spira.

Some people think that they deserved such a fate for allowing Lord Seymour to – and even supporting him while he did – attempt destroying the world. The Guado had leveled the Al Bhed Home. The Guado had killed countless Ronso upon Mt. Gagazet. And that had only been the start of Seymour's ambition. If Yuna had not stopped him two years ago – he might well have taken Sir Jecht's place as Sin.

Sir Jecht had been Guardian to Sir Braska – Yuna's father – when he had gone on his own pilgrimage twelve years ago to defeat Sin. Sir Braska… he had succeeded in his quest. He had summoned the Final Aeon. In doing so, he was killed. But there was more to it than that.

The Final Aeon was not like the others. To summon it, one Guardian must sacrifice his life as well as the Summoner's. Braska had had two Guardians: Sir Jecht… and Sir Auron. And it had been Jecht to surrender his life – but unlike Braska, he hadn't been killed by it. Instead, he had literally become the next Sin to plague Spira. He had been the Sin that Yuna and her Guardians had had to destroy.

And he had been a certain young Guardian's father.

That had been another part of the reason why _he_ had been so determined to see Sin defeated once and for all. He and his father had not been from Spira – they had been dreams from Zanarkand. They had not been raised by the teachings of Yevon.

And even if they had been, Sir Jecht probably wouldn't have given them much thought anyway – he had been, according to his son, a famous drunk whose prime in the timeless sport of Blitzball had passed completely away long ago – even if he did refuse to admit it. According to his son, Jecht had been a _terrible_ father and was much despised. And Jecht might have acknowledged that by the end of Braska's pilgrimage. Because for once, he had decided to do something with his life that would make a real difference. And he had promised a much younger Auron – who had been so full of hope and optimism back then, only to feel it crushed under the weight of such a journey – that he would see the spiral of death in Spira end.

With Jecht's help, Auron – who had been killed by Lady Yunalesca after Braska's own death, but who nevertheless remained Unsent – traveled to the dreamt of Zanarkand. There, he had met his dear friend's son, and had helped to raise him, before seeing him to Spira, where he had begun his own journey beside Yuna.

Carrying the weight of knowledge that his father plagued Spira, _he_ had sworn to free Jecht – promising to end the spiral as Jecht had promised Auron. He had taken on the responsibility to end what his father had started. Protecting Yuna from the death she so expected went right along beside that.

_He_ wouldn't have Lord Seymour ruin the unspoken plan he and his father had agreed to devise by allowing the Maester to force Yuna into using him as the Final Aeon that would turn him into the next Sin. No. _He_ had never liked Seymour to begin with, but _that_ would have been crossing the line. He continuously fought the Guado-human, when lesser Guardians might have grown discouraged by Seymour's seeming invincibility – no matter how many times they killed him, he remained Unsent, refusing to allow Yuna to perform the Sending. But ultimately, he had been defeated, as had Sin.

Yuna's Guardian had done everything that his father would have liked to do himself – and he had done it impeccably. Jecht could never have asked more from him. By the end, the two of them had found their peace with each other.

Sin was gone, and Seymour's twisted views had failed.

But even still, that had not been enough for the people of Spira. They had wanted to see all Guado punished for their leader's actions. They had a point, Yuna guessed. But it seemed like such a sad way to look at things…

As they passed over Guadosalam, she stared out the window and down at it solemnly. The region had a unique appearance about it. The land was green, and the buildings seemed to have been built directly from it. Yellow veins seemed to twist through the ground, and up the sides of the buildings – along with veins of other colors, such as red and brown. Branches of the earth rose up like arched bridges, weaving above and around the rest of the town, and towards the Farplane.

For that was what kept the people of Spira attracted to Guadosalam – despite the Guado. There was a glen there, known as the Farplane – not actually the Farplane where the spirits of the dead were Sent to – but where people of the world could visit and see their passed on loved ones because of the pyreflies that had gathered there.

Yuna had been there once. And as she reflected on that experience, she was once again reminded of _him_. For it had been in the Farplane Glen that _he_ had realized why he might have so despised his father.

The Summoner almost smiled. For the second time as they passed over Guadosalam, aspects of the region had reminded her of _their_ unusual relationship. _His_ and his father's. Never in her life had Yuna ever seen the affection of two family members so closely resemble such contempt.

It had been a hard journey indeed. And not just for Yuna.

Next, they passed over the Thunder Plains. And once again, the Celsius did not pause there, but continued onward.

And here Yuna _did_ smile, and glanced at Rikku – who was chatting away happily with Brother and Buddy, completely oblivious to the land outside.

Not that it would have bothered her whatsoever. This time, they weren't passing so quickly through the Thunder Plains because she wanted them to.

For she had finally overcome her fear of thunder! And she had done so by camping out there for an entire week!

The Thunder Plains were, in fact, long, wide plains that stretched on for miles. The lightning _never_ stopped. And because of that, it was always dark there. Dark and misty.

Large lightning rods had been built throughout the plains. They kept the road open – but there was still always some risks taken when people entered. Lightning was something that simply couldn't be completely controlled.

It had been in the Thunder Plains, Yuna reminded herself, that she had decided to marry Seymour. He had proposed back in Guadosalam, and by the time that Yuna had silently made her decision inside Rin's Travel Agency, midway through the plains, she had known that the Maester had murdered his own father. She _had_ hoped that marrying him might help stop him. Time would show that she had only been fooling herself.

In any event, that made two regions where the Celsius had not stopped for any reason whatsoever. Paine was just starting to hope that maybe _now_ they would reach the Zanarkand Ruins without further delay.

Of course, _that_ wouldn't be the case.

For Yuna suddenly let out a strangled gasp.

"Yunie?" Rikku spun around, as Paine looked up and Brother nearly fell over in his distress that something had upset the Summoner.

Yuna gazed out the airship's windshield in complete shock. "That's not…? Is it?"

Buddy was at her side, with Rikku, Paine, and Brother at her back. Together, they all looked down at the landscape below them.

The Celsius was now passing over the Macalania Woods. And as beautiful as the Moonflow was itself, it was by far no match for the beauty of that one forest. Or rather it hadn't been, until now.

Macalania was beautiful. The trees were so enormous, and the woods so thick, that the only way to pass through them was to use the trees' very own branches as a road. It was naturally dark in those woods, but several silvery blue crystals radiated there, lighting the forest up with such graceful splendor.

It was only near the far edge of the woods that the trees grew sparse enough to allow creatures to pass by on the ground. And it was there that the Macalania Lake had once formed springs and now danced in echoes of memories. Especially Yuna's.

Now, the woods looked so different. Withered… Fading away… too much like certain dreams.

Buddy nodded from where he stood beside the Summoner. "Two years ago the Fayth disappeared. They say that when they disappeared from the Macalania Temple, it started affecting the lake. Now, it looks like the forest is being affected as well."

"We have to stop!" Yuna said, desperation welling up inside her heart and overflowing into her voice.

"Stop! Stop!" Brother was immediately in the pilot's chair, turning the Celsius back around so that it might land at the edge of the forest.

And as soon as it was possible for Yuna to climb out of the airship safely, she did so, with Rikku and Paine close behind her. She sprinted the several remaining yards left between her and the tree line, slowing down only once she had completely left the Thunder Plains behind.

The forest was dark, damp, and cold. Yuna shivered, wrapping her bare arms around her stomach as she walked nervously into the woods. She didn't know why she was so nervous. She had nothing to fear… except that the woods might completely fade around her at any second. That thought terrified her.

She started walking up one of the large silver branches that made up the road through Macalania. There were others there – aside from her. And they all looked so sorrowful. So full of regret.

What did they regret?

The price.

There were prices for everything. Painful ones. Because Sin had been destroyed, so would the Macalania Woods. That thought distressed these lonely travelers, as much as it distressed Yuna – and the forest itself. They could all sense it. Even Rikku and Paine, upon entering behind her, could literally _feel_ the agony that the woods seemed to be in.

There were no more butterflies, Yuna noticed. They had gone.

And the music… seemed so sad.

She passed by several players. These people were clustered together, making music with their different instruments – one of which was a harp. That harp… created the gentlest, most forlorn music Yuna had ever heard.

She stopped to listen, allowing Rikku and Paine to catch up with her. Moments passed, and the song ended, but Yuna did not move. Remaining entirely too still for either of her two companions' comfort, she listened as the players began speaking amongst themselves.

"The woods will soon be no more."

"I know. What can we do? The end has come faster than I thought."

Another sighed, and looked up in misery. "These woods grow lonely day to day."

Yuna pressed on, her arms pressing tighter against her stomach. She thought she felt sick. _Why was this happening?_

"Yunie…" Rikku spoke in a high pitched, pleading voice. "Say something…" The Summoner's own silence was starting to frighten the girl, more than the woods ever could.

"This isn't right…" Yuna whispered. She kept forward.

Rikku hesitated, terribly upset. And for once, Paine felt for her. Walking to her side, she delicately placed a hand on the Al Bhed girl's shoulder, and the two pressed on after Yuna together.

The shadows grew darker the farther into the woods Yuna traveled. The mist seemed to rise, and the decay seemed to intensify. Something to her left moved, and Yuna stopped in order to locate the disturbance.

There was a figure beyond several branches – off the main one that made the road. Carefully, so as to not stumble or fall, Yuna made her way over and under those branches, towards the figure. She didn't know why… she was just compelled.

"Yunie!" Rikku and Paine both followed, just as carefully, but a _lot_ more reluctantly.

She ignored her cousin. And eventually, as she drew near the figure, he revealed himself to her.

He was a Guado. A tall, broad man with greenish blue hair and a beard that curled down into multiple tips. Veins could be seen beneath the skin of his old, wrinkled face – wizened by time and fatigue. He was dressed in green robes that had, at one time, been elaborate and colorful, but were now shriveled and faded.

Yuna knew him.

His name was Tromell. At one time, he had served Seymour so loyally… that he had tried to kill her and her Guardians. There were those in the world who might not ever forgive him for such injustice…

But he could no longer touch Yuna, even if he wanted to. And she could tell, walking up to him, that he was just so tired… he had no spirit left at all. And that, despite everything, brought her grief to spill out of her heart and into her eyes.

"Yunie…" Rikku whispered from behind – for she had now grown close enough to recognize Tromell as well.

But Yuna did not acknowledge the Al Bhed. Instead, she just kept gazing at the Guado, with tears in her eyes.

"High Summoner Yuna," he spoke in an old, trembling voice that sounded so close to death. "Forgive me for the grief I have caused you." He performed the Prayer before her – lifting his arms in a symbolic way before positioning them before his chest, his left arm below his right with the palm up, and his right over that with the palm down. He bowed his head to finish, and Yuna trembled. She had not seen the Prayer performed even once in almost two entire years.

"How have you been?" she asked quietly – and with no trace of anger in her voice at all. Just sorrow.

Tromell sighed. "Well… with Lord Seymour gone, we Guado are hardly different from the dead." He would have ended there, but Yuna remained, gazing up at him almost expectantly, and silently. Neither Rikku nor Paine moved, either, so he sighed again, and broke the short silence.

"Many Ronso lost their lives at the hands of Lord Seymour," he reflected miserably. "Those who survived swore vengeance on their fallen comrades. We Guado sealed ourselves away in Guadosalam and strengthened our defenses… But soon we no longer had the strength for even this. Now, we live among the shadows of these woods."

"Tromell…" Yuna glanced down, the tears in her eyes starting to sting. And as if those tears were poison, infecting the last remaining corner of his strength and spirit, he drew away from her.

"High Summoner," he said disapprovingly. "Do not trouble yourself to show sympathy for the Guado. We once walked willingly with Lord Seymour, never questioning, even as he led all Spira into madness."

Yuna glanced up at him for a moment, trying to smile as she so knew how to even when she was sad. And though she managed that, a moment later she had to look away again. The memories were painful, and they tore at her, cutting into her heart.

"Lady Yuna," Tromell continued. "I cannot ask that you forgive us… only that you forget us."

_I can't…_

"Yunie," Rikku had had enough. She walked forward and gently placed her arms around her cousin's shoulders. Looking up at Tromell, the Guado and the Al Bhed's gazes caught. And for the first time in two years, the two were able to look into each others' eyes, seeing past all that hate and into their very souls. Rikku offered him a small, sympathetic smile, and then turned her attention back to Yuna. "We gotta go! Those spheres won't wait around forever, you know!"

Yuna nodded, and together, the two of them made their way past Paine and back towards the main branch.

And before Paine followed them, she looked once more back at Tromell. The man was watching Rikku curiously.

He looked at Paine. "Spheres…?"

"Yuna's a sphere hunter now," Paine told him in her usual cold voice. But Tromell did not know Paine, and did not know her indifference was just a natural part of her.

Mistaking that for anger, he flinched slightly, and looked down. "I see. Then please allow me to give this to you." He pulled from his robes a small sphere, and handed it to Paine, who did accept – but only because she was so dedicated to hunting. Tromell shrugged. "It is of no use to us."

Paine stared at it for a moment, and then smirked. "Thanks." She started after Yuna and Rikku.

Presently, the Al Bhed was speaking comforting words to the Summoner. "At least he's remorseful. There's something good in that, right?"

"I don't doubt it," Yuna quietly agreed, and was about to say something more when two nimble Al Bhed came running out onto the main branch from one of the many side ones. The Gullwings stopped short in surprise, watching as the two men looked frantically each way.

"Frana ec ra?" one asked.

The other shrugged and called out into the trees. "O'aka! Kad uid rana!"

At that moment, a third – and female – Al Bhed joined the two others, shouting out as well. "Lusa uid! Nacicdyhla ec videma!"

"What's that about?" Paine asked, as she, Yuna, and Rikku all stared at the Al Bhed in astonishment.

"They're looking for O'aka!" Rikku explained.

Paine rolled her eyes. "I figured _that_. Any idea _why_?"

"No," Rikku shook her head. "But they're telling him 'resistance is futile!' I think he's in trouble!"

"With the Al Bhed?" Yuna asked in surprise.

O'aka XXIII was a traveling merchant who often seemed to be in some kind of debt. He had never really looked like much on first glance… but he had stayed loyal to Yuna two years ago, when the rest of Spira had branded her a traitor. In fact… he had been _so_ loyal to her, that it had landed him in prison for a couple of days. He had always been a spirited man, honest and kind, and even a little amusing.

Rikku rushed forward, calling out to the Al Bhed in their common tongue. And while she did that, Yuna glanced at Paine, and the two stood together waiting, glad for the distraction.

At that moment, there was a subtle rustling noise coming from the branches nearby Yuna. She and Paine both turned in surprise, and through the trees, they could make out a stooped, hidden young man.

Yuna snuck towards him. "O'aka? Is that you?"

"Yes, Lady Yuna!" he hissed quietly, looking up at her and Paine. "O'aka, at your service!"

Paine crossed her arms. "If you ask me, _you_ are in no position to be serving people."

"Granted, miss," O'aka looked frantically back at Yuna. "If ye have no desire to help me, I would understand, my Lady. If that be the case, pretend you never saw me!"

Yuna smiled, her heart lightening already. Like Rikku, O'aka often had that kind of an effect. "Of course I want to help you!"

"Really?" he tilted his head in appreciation. "Well then! I noticed your young Guardian has gone to speak with my pursuers. Perhaps… Think ye could give old O'aka a place to lay low? Hmm? For awhile? I'll find a way to make it up to ye, I promise!"

Yuna had no reason not to believe him. As far as she knew, he _always_ kept his promises. She nodded. "We can hide you on the airship."

"That'd be great!" O'aka agreed, and together, Yuna and Paine stood in front of the merchant, further concealing him from sight as they waited for Rikku to saunter back over to them, the three Al Bhed she had formerly been speaking to continuing on with their search.

"Apparently," she told them as soon as she had reached them. "O'aka bought the Travel Agency from Rin, but when the Temple here sank to the bottom of the lake, his business sank with it. Now, the Al Bhed want their money back, and O'aka can't pay up. And instead of facing them, he's just run off!"

"He's right here, Rikku!" Yuna said brightly, turning and pulling O'aka up from his hiding spot.

Rikku's mouth dropped open.

"We're giving him a place to stay on the Celsius," Yuna stated.

"If ye don't mind," O'aka said hesitantly, knowing full well that Rikku was an Al Bhed, and might choose to side with her own people.

But as soon as the surprise had worn off, Rikku just shrugged. "All right. Come on, we better get him there quickly, before the others see!"

"Thank ye!" O'aka would have fallen to his knees in gratification, but together, Yuna and Rikku pulled him forward and they started out of the Macalania Woods.

But as they reached the edge of the forest, Yuna urged Rikku, Paine, and O'aka on ahead, pausing so that she might look back by herself.

The forest was fading.

_I don't want things to… fade away. Ever._

She didn't want the forest to disappear… as _he_ had… because of the Fayth. She wished desperately that there was a way to stop such things from happening. To save the world, without losing in order to win… She didn't want that…

But she didn't know how to stop it.

**ooooooo**


	13. Baralai

**ooooooo**

"He gave us a sphere?"

Paine nodded as she, Yuna, and Rikku gathered in the Celsius's cockpit once again. They had boarded the airship some time ago, but since then, they had been so busy seeing O'aka settled and comfortable down near Barkeep that they hadn't yet had Brother start piloting the ship anywhere. And in return, O'aka had offered them his business, which made the deal all the more acceptable and worthwhile to the rest of the Gullwings, who did not know the poor man like Yuna and Rikku did.

Presently, Paine handed the sphere she had received from Tromell over to the Summoner, who looked surprised by it, but also somewhat pleased. The sphere was like… a reminder to her… that there was still hope of reclaiming lost, faded dreams.

When they watched the sphere, however, it revealed nothing interesting, and Shinra immediately set about adding it to the Garment Grid.

Meanwhile, Paine took a step back from the group and crossed her arms. "Where to next?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, and she hoped her message would be clear to her companions.

And it was clear to them, but to Rikku, it wasn't an option yet. Of course they needed to get to the Zanarkand Ruins to recover that treasure sphere, but they had _just_ walked out of the Macalania Woods! It wouldn't be fair to Yuna to force her from one heart wrenching memory directly into another!

She hopped forward towards Brother and Buddy. "Let's go to Bevelle!"

Everyone turned towards the young Al Bhed girl as if she were _completely_ out of her mind.

"_What_?" Paine demanded. She couldn't _believe_ this!

"Bevelle?" Brother scratched his head, and Yuna tilted hers, curiously. "Why there?"

"Didn't you hear?" Rikku asked, growing more and more excited by the moment. "There've apparently been a lot of changes going on inside New Yevon! All the Yevonites are gonna be there! Just think about the party and celebration! Just think about the options!"

"You sound like a thief," Paine grumbled, which caused Rikku to grin and wink.

She turned towards Yuna. "Come on. It'll be fun! We're right nearby the city anyway, and we won't even have to stay for very long! Just long enough to scope it out a little. Figure out what the deal is. You know? Stay informed!" She glanced apologetically at Paine. "It's on the way."

Yuna hesitated. She had her own reasons for not wanting to go to Bevelle… But… it _was_ the largest city in Spira. It shouldn't be _that_ hard avoiding one small group of people… But still.

"We're sphere hunters now, Rikku," she reminded her cousin. "Witnessing the changes within one political party has nothing to do with that."

"Exactly," Paine agreed.

"I know!" Rikku assured them. "But, come on! And besides! Who's to say there aren't any spheres there? There's a whole _ton_ of machina in that city that no one but the higher ups knew about until two years ago! Do you have any idea what _else_ they might be hiding there?"

"I don't want to think about it," Paine shot back.

"Actually," Shinra interrupted, turning in his chair to look back at them thoughtfully. "There _are_ a few supplies I could get in Bevelle that might prove useful."

Yuna smiled. "What? More inventions?"

"Always."

"You see!" Rikku grinned triumphantly. "A quick trip through Bevelle won't hurt anyone! We could go shopping!"

"Shopping?" Paine grumbled dryly.

The Al Bhed girl nodded enthusiastically. "And why not?" Seeing her friends' blank expressions, she crossed her arms. "All right, fine. I wanna go to Bevelle because I think it would make a nice little afternoon off. After all, all work and no play's never good for you. Unless you're Shinra. Because then work _is_ play. And besides, if he needs supplies, how can we refuse?"

"We can't!" Brother replied, jumping to his chair and piloting the Celsius around towards the city.

Satisfied, Rikku let out a little shout of glee, and Shinra turned back to his computers. Paine glowered in frustrated, and Yuna sighed, turning away in quiet acceptance.

Bevelle was a city that remained in the heart of Spira. And though Yuna had been born there, and had spent a few of her younger childhood years there, it had never really had very many good memories for her.

She had lived in Bevelle when her father had died. And, she had been married to Seymour there. She had been branded a traitor within its borders, and all her faith in the Maesters of Yevon had been terribly shaken. For all its power and importance in Spira two years ago, it had proven to be a city of corruption. It had been that way, she had discovered, for over a thousand years.

Now, it was trying to overcome its brutish past. It was trying to improve, and to regain the trust of the rest of Spira. It had a long way to go before it could do so fully – if it would _ever_ be able to do so fully. For once trust was lost… it was hard to earn back.

That was probably why Bevelle's new leading party – New Yevon – was having so much difficulty getting onto its feet. Nevertheless, Yuna wished them success and the greatest fortune.

She also hoped they would find themselves well led. Because the sooner they did, the quicker they might forget about the offer which she herself had rejected shortly before joining the Gullwings.

As they began coming up on the city, Yuna walked closer to the windshield to see it from above. Like Luca, Bevelle had been built on a peninsula. Unlike Luca, it was not much of a port city. For it had been designed atop of a huge red platform that lifted it above the rest of Spira. The buildings heightened near the center of the city, making the entire place look, from air, like some kind of wondrous mountain.

_The architects must have been arrogant a thousand years ago,_ Yuna thought. Even the very nature of the buildings themselves looked haughty.

Brother brought the Celsius down at the landing station that had been constructed in Bevelle a year ago for such airships – not that there were very many of them at that moment, but a faction within Bevelle sought to change that, and create more airships for those who didn't have easy access to them as the Al Bhed did.

The Gullwings were greeted warmly as they climbed out of the airship – for once, with Shinra with them! Together, Buddy and the boy immediately made off in one direction in order to search for whatever supplies the young genius required, and Rikku led Yuna and Paine off in another – towards who knew what!

As Rikku had predicted, the streets were filled with those many people who made up New Yevon. Something _definitely_ had happened within the party to have attracted so many of their number. The question was what?

They spent a good amount of time that afternoon wondering that. Or… Yuna and Paine did… Rikku… no longer seemed to care about any politics. She was having too much fun exploring the city – tasting food and walking past various malls and shopping centers – to think about New Yevon.

And when asked about it, she would just shrug and say: "The last time Yunie and I were here together, they tried executing us! We deserve an afternoon like this, don't ya think?" She stared at the two of them with her hands on her hips. "Try having some fun for a change?"

"For a change?" Yuna asked with a sincere smile. "Just being with the Gullwings is fun enough. I've never had so much of it in my life."

"Aw…" Rikku tilted her head happily. "That's good. I was starting to feel like a kidnapper!"

"Aren't you?" Yuna teased.

"Well, I was trying to quit," Rikku said sarcastically. "But now I don't know."

"We've been here for awhile now," Paine cut in. She glared at the Al Bhed. "_You_ said we didn't have to stay here for very long."

"All right, all right," Rikku waved her hand at that. "I give up! Let's go back to the airship."

"Thank you," Paine breathed, and together, the three of them turned around.

Only to find themselves face to face with an astonished woman dressed as a councilor of New Yevon.

"Oh," Yuna started.

"High Summoner!" the woman instantly preformed the Prayer as a greeting. "Forgive us! We did not realize you would be returning to Bevelle today! We _would_ have prepared a greater welcome!"

"That wouldn't be necessary," Yuna said, somewhat uncomfortably. And they had been _so_ _close_ to leaving the city without incident, too! "I've noticed Bevelle seems rather festive today. I'd imagine there's plenty to be done without worrying about greeting me."

"It is _not_ a worry at all, my Lady!" the woman quickly assured her, even as her face flushed slightly.

"We wouldn't want the attention, anyway!" Rikku chirped, which caused Paine to scoff.

"_You_ would," she accused the Al Bhed.

"Please," Yuna turned towards the woman diplomatically, trying to ignore her two companions. She had to get the focus off of her – and without offending anyone, at that. "What is this celebration about?"

"This morning was the initiation of the new Praetor of New Yevon," the woman explained, suddenly turning on her heel. "Come. I will show you."

Yuna's mouth had unconsciously opened – ever so slightly – at the mention of the Praetor. This whole situation was getting _worse_ and _worse_ by the second. But since it was Yuna who had asked about it, she certainly couldn't change her mind now. So she breathed in, and followed the woman with Rikku and Paine at her side.

They were led towards a large, globular shaped building that had a red carpet leading up to it. It looked something like a temple… but at the same time, it wasn't _the_ Temple. Yuna was grateful for that, at least.

As the councilor brought them inside, they were immediately welcomed by another, elderly man, who informed the woman that she was needed elsewhere before he concentrated on Yuna.

"O, High Summoner!" he spoke in a wizened voice as the other woman scurried from the room. "I see you've finally decided to join New Yevon!"

At that, all three of the Gullwings started.

But the man didn't notice. "Lord Braska – may he rest in peace – would be proud."

Yuna shifted uncomfortably at the mention of her father. _Would he? If she joined New Yevon, would that please him?_ Braska had, after all, chosen Bevelle as his home when he had been alive. If he had remained so, would he have come to acknowledge New Yevon over the Youth League? Or would he have remained out of it, as Yuna was trying to do?

_Father…?_ Yuna missed him as much as she missed her Guardian.

Noticing Yuna's discomfort, Paine stepped slightly closer to her, and Rikku crossed her arms, clearly disapproving the mention of her uncle.

Even still, the man didn't notice. "Please. I will summon the Praetor immediately. I beg your leave." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and hastened away through a different door from the one that the councilor had earlier taken.

Rikku spun on her heel. "Pushy, isn't he?"

Yuna uncomfortably wrapped her arms around her stomach. She couldn't _believe_ she was waiting to see the _Praetor_, of all people!

Paine glanced at her with a frown. "Yuna?"

"We should leave," the Summoner said quietly.

Rikku frowned, hopping forward. "What's the matter, Yunie?"

Yuna glanced at them both unhappily. She hadn't told either one of them yet… She _had_ been hoping to forget about the entire incident – which was why she hadn't wanted to enter Bevelle in the first place. But now she could see no way out of telling them the truth of the matter.

"Well…" she started slowly. "You see…" And then she just forced herself to go right into it. "There was this arrangement with the son of the chairman of New Yevon. I turned the offer down, but now… If there _is_ a new Praetor in New Yevon, I'd imagine it'd be him, and it just… it'll be too awkward, you know?"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Rikku shook her head in astonishment. "An arrangement? What do you mean by that?"

"You're right, Yuna," Paine said, turning towards the building's entrance. "Let's go." She glanced over her shoulder at Rikku. "Let her explain it to you in plainer terms on the way."

"What?" Rikku objected, as Yuna started after the sphere hunter. "Wait! Come on, you _guys_!"

But before any of them could make it out of the building, the door behind them through which the man had earlier retreated opened once again. Rikku and Yuna both turned towards it in surprise, but Paine remained as she was, facing away from them, and _clearly_ annoyed.

It was a solitary man who had opened the door. And as he walked towards Yuna, she took him in while trying hard to suppress a look of horror. _Was this the man…?_ He had to have been about twenty – but his face looked so much younger. A twenty year old with a child's face… He had dark skin – it almost looked bronze. His hair was short and white, and he wore a blue headband to go with it. His clothes were thick and green, in the style of New Yevon, and despite everything, he looked to be a kind man. Yuna knew appearances weren't always everything, but he had these eyes… they were such a deep brown… and looked so honest. It was rare seeing eyes like that.

"A pleasure, Lady Yuna," he said as he came to a stop before her and performed the Prayer.

His voice was young… but it sounded weary. And to Paine… it sounded familiar. She grew tense, horrified, and did _not_ turn around. She did not want to see this! And she did not want to be seen and recognized.

"I am Baralai," the man said. "Praetor of New Yevon."

Paine couldn't believe it. _Baralai_ was the new Praetor?

Yuna stared at him uncomfortably. "So you're… the chairman's son?"

Baralai actually grinned. "Ah. As it happens, the chairman has recently resigned. And so has his son." Yuna could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. A huge weight lifted off her back, and she found herself relaxing. Baralai continued: "They were both trying to take too much power. We had to ask them to leave." Well… _That_ was a step in the right direction, anyway. "Now the younger members run the party – by mutual consensus, of course."

"I am sorry to hear that," Yuna told him, diplomatically, but he nodded, knowingly.

"So you see, Lady Yuna," he told her, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "It is not I that was meant to marry the High Summoner."

"My!" Yuna stared at him in surprise. So much for diplomacy!

Rikku's mouth dropped open. _That_ was what Yuna meant by an 'arrangement'? Go figure. Too bad for New Yevon, though… Yuna was already in love with someone else!

"Not that we wouldn't appreciate the support," Baralai added quickly. "On the contrary, you'd be most welcome!"

Yuna stared at him for a moment, and then could not help but look away.

Baralai seemed able to read her thoughts: "I understand if your feelings towards Yevon are mixed. But…" he shrugged. "I would hope that you could put that aside and join our cause. The world is changing, and there are many who are finding it difficult to keep up. New Yevon wishes to help those who feel lost in the winds of change."

"It's a… good cause," Yuna said, looking back as fixedly as possible. "I have great hope in New Yevon. As I do in the Youth League."

Baralai listened to her words as very few others in Bevelle had ever done. But her mentioning the Youth League hardly seemed to please him. He did not speak.

"I… have become a sphere hunter," Yuna fell back on the same excuse she had used when asked into the Youth League. "There are some things that I must sort through with my life before I involve myself in politics."

"Of course," Baralai nodded. He stood silently before them for a few seconds, carefully considering what the Summoner had said. But then he started, glancing over his shoulder as if something had startled him out of his deliberation. He turned quickly back towards Yuna with some apprehension on his face. "Oh. If you'll excuse me, there are matters which require my attention."

Paine frowned, recognizing the concern in Baralai's voice and wondering what was the matter. Before she could stop herself, she turned around for the first time to see if she couldn't determine what had upset him. It couldn't have been Yuna… Baralai had always been too self-possessed and genial to react like _that_ to her refusal. Something _else_ was up.

Fortunately for her, Baralai had already turned around himself and was walking towards the door he had entered from at a rather brisk pace. Paine exhaled, relieved that he had still not seen her face.

"Oh," he stopped then, and Paine spun around before he looked back at Yuna one last time. "You said you were a sphere hunter now? Should you come across any spheres of Spira's past, do let us know."

"Huh?" Yuna stared at him in confusion, even as Rikku jumped forward heatedly.

"Weren't you even _listening_?" she demanded. "Yuna said she didn't want to get involved!"

Baralai hesitated. "Wait… I'm not sure I understand…"

"The Youth League is looking for spheres, too!" the Al Bhed informed him. "Spheres that just so _happen_ to be of Spira's past!"

Baralai considered that, seemingly surprised. Paine turned her head ever so slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye. He wasn't exactly paying any attention to her whatsoever, so she thought she could risk it.

_He doesn't know either,_ she thought, which surprised her herself. _Nooj is hunting spheres, and Baralai has the same idea, but they aren't together. What on _Spira_ is going on?_

"Rikku," Yuna amusedly touched her cousin's shoulder. "A lot of people are looking for spheres of Spira's history. I don't think it's some competition between New Yevon and the Youth League."

"Oh?" Rikku's face flushed, and she looked guiltily back at Baralai. "My bad."

He smiled, but his was a distracted smile. He wasn't buying it, and neither was Paine.

"We'll do what we can," Yuna told the Praetor. He nodded and turned back towards her entirely.

"My Lady." He bowed before her at his waist, respectively, and then, upon straightening, he once again turned to leave. And this time, he did not look back.

"Oohh!" Rikku turned towards Yuna and Paine. "So, what do you think?"

"What?" Yuna hesitated, and shrugged. "It wasn't what I expected. Which is good, I guess. Paine?" Both the Summoner and the Al Bhed turned towards the sphere hunter.

"I think I've heard enough," Paine grumbled. Silently, though, she admitted that she _hadn't_ heard enough. Not by a long shot. What was it, exactly, that Nooj and Baralai were both looking for? And would they – if she could just gather up enough courage to ask them face to face – tell her, if they knew of her interest? Shaking her head, she asked: "What now?"

"Now we leave," Yuna sighed. "I really don't want to stay here any longer."

**ooooooo**


	14. The Elder of the Ronso

**ooooooo**

By the time they had made it back to the Celsius, Buddy and Shinra had already returned with all the supplies the boy had required. They were now fit to continue on their sphere hunt, and Yuna was perfectly fine with that, for she was _extremely_ eager to put Bevelle behind her.

The airship once again continued on its journey north. And the next few regions after Bevelle that it past were made up of the Calm Lands. _Terribly_ wide fields that were surrounded by hills and watched over by the solitary Mt. Gagazet, far off in the distance, these lands had once been a battleground where High Summoners had fought Sin. Since then, many Summoners had crossed the plains with heavy hearts from the weight of their pilgrimage. Many of them had lost their way there, because that had been where the roads all ended. Yuna herself had crossed those plains… but back then, when she had finally reached them, _he_ had finally learned the truth. And there, he had promised, not for the first time, that he would find a way to keep her from death. She had known, in her heart, as they had entered the plains, that she had always known where to go, when he was with her. And she did… and he had kept his promise. She had no fear of losing her way. Especially not in the Calm Lands.

But those days had ended. The Calm Lands had changed since then. As had all of Spira.

As the Celsius flew over them, and as Yuna watched through the windshield, she saw a place that resembled a huge carnival. There were tents and people everywhere. Once, the Calm Lands had been nothing but the freshest of greens mixed with the blue of the sky. Now, there was a myriad of colors, swirling through the lands from such tents and booths and games… not to mention as well as from all of those tourists who came to see and seek various means of entertainment.

Rikku charged towards Yuna, looking excited. "Ooh! I _love_ those games!"

The Summoner glanced at her Guardian in surprise as Paine walked up behind them. "I have a hundred Argent Credits," the sphere hunter spoke rather dryly… but also haughtily.

Rikku spun around to look at her. "Well I have a hundred Open Air Credits!"

Yuna blinked. Credits…? She had never taken part in any of the activities offered in the Calm Lands. But she guessed credits were what people won in those games… and through them, players could receive prizes… or something. She found herself smiling at the Al Bhed. "It's a shame we had to stop in Bevelle. If we hadn't, we might have had time to take that afternoon off right here and now!"

"Yeah…" Rikku rubbed the back of her head, suddenly looking put out. "What a drag…"

So the Celsius continued on without pause. And after it past over the Calm Lands, it began its approach towards Mt. Gagazet… Home of the Ronso.

"Rikku," Yuna turned inquisitively towards the Al Bhed. "Kimahri found that sphere, didn't he?"

"Yup," Rikku nodded.

Yuna considered that for a moment, and then glanced at Brother. "We should stop. I'd like to thank him for it." _And see for myself if he hasn't found any more since…_

Without complaint, for once even from Paine, the Celsius made its way down towards the side of the mountain, beneath the floating ruins, but still close enough to its summit. And as the three women began to head outside, Yuna paused long enough to look back at Brother. "Meet us in Zanarkand. We'll make our way there on foot."

Brother's face paled. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Yuna nodded, even as Rikku and Paine both stopped to glance back at her in surprise. But the Summoner wasn't kidding. "I've crossed this mountain before. It shouldn't be too difficult to do so again."

Brother didn't like it, but in the end he conceded. And Yuna, Rikku, and Paine climbed out, jumping down onto the ground where the snow crunched under their feet.

There was a biting cold that swept around them from the wind. Yuna and Rikku had felt it before, and Paine did not complain. Using their dresspheres, they changed into warmer clothes that would offer them greater protection from the cold, and began their hike.

And on the way, Yuna never stopped thinking about her first trek along this very same path… It seemed so much quieter now than it did then. Perhaps that was because Summoners no longer came to climb the sacred mountain. It seemed… almost like yet another loss.

"Yuna." Paine suddenly stopped walking, and both the Summoner and the Guardian paused to look at the sphere hunter in surprise. She was staring off to their left, a look of cold apprehension on her face.

Rikku tensed, knowing full well how dangerous the fiends were on this mountain, and she followed Paine's gaze, readying herself for an attack.

But Yuna could sense who was really there. After all… she had known _this_ Guardian since her childhood… longer than any other. She smiled, and walked forward with the greatest ease.

"Yunie…" Rikku whispered.

The Summoner paused to look back at her. "It's all right, Rikku." She turned forward once again, gazing out into the foggy distance. "Kimahri?"

The Ronso appeared before them, seemingly stepping out of the fog itself. "Yuna look well. Kimahri glad." He spoke in the deepest voice Yuna had ever heard in her life… his sentences short and ragged. Similar to Brother's. Yuna had missed that voice terribly.

As a Ronso, Kimahri was rather small. Even still, he stood a good three heads taller than Yuna, and was at _least_ twice as thick. Covered in blue fur, Kimahri had the face of a large, menacing panther. He also had long, flowing white hair with a single, tiny braid on either side of his face, and a white beard. His eyes literally glowed a piercing amber, and he dressed in brilliant blue armor that almost matched the color of his fur.

But what was, perhaps, Kimahri's most noticeable, and most famous feature of all was the broken horn upon his forehead.

A Ronso's horn represented a Ronso's strength… and his honor. Kimahri's had been broken by another long ago. Yuna still remembered her pilgrimage two years ago… and the Ronso she had interacted with along the way – one of whom had been responsible for breaking that horn – and they had _despised_ Kimahri. It didn't help that he had always been so much smaller than the rest of them. Kimahri had been estranged from his kind for so long… but a part of Yuna was happy about that. For it had allowed the Ronso to be her Guardian. And he had been one of her closest…

Now, he was an elder of the Ronso, working hard to unite his people. It was very notable how, when he had once been an outcast, he was now a leader.

Rikku hopped towards him in both relief and in pleasure. "Hi Kimahri!" She was always glad to see her fellow Guardians. And Kimahri simply fascinated her. She had never seen – had never even _contemplated_ – something as large and powerful as him that could still be as gentle. "How've you been?"

Kimahri glanced at her and seemed pleased. He didn't actually smile, though. As far as Yuna knew, the great Ronso had only smiled once before… and though she hadn't seen it herself, she had heard that it hadn't been much of one. More like a grimace.

But then, Kimahri suddenly grew a whole lot more solemn. "Elder's job difficult. Kimahri troubled."

Yuna and Rikku glanced uneasily at each other. What did that mean?

But before they could ask, a second Ronso – this one much larger than Kimahri – emerged from the fog as the former had done earlier. He glanced grimly at Yuna and her two companions before looking back at Kimahri. "Elder. Lian and Ayde not here."

This Ronso spoke in a voice that was not quite as deep as Kimahri's, but still powerful, and threatening. The elder glanced at him dourly as he continued: "Children have left mountain. Gone to search for elder's horn."

"Aww," Rikku couldn't help it.

Kimahri and Paine both glanced at her coldly as Yuna stepped forward. "What's going on?"

The elder Ronso turned towards her. "Lian and Ayde still pups, but bear Ronso future. Say they search for way to fix Kimahri's broken horn."

Yuna had to admit… Rikku was right. The two young Ronso both sounded very sweet.

The older Ronso, however, did not, as he angrily approached Yuna's Guardian. "If Kimahri act like _true_ Elder, these things not happen!"

Kimahri looked at him calmly. "Maybe so."

The answer disconcerted the Ronso, who immediately backed down.

"Kimahri…" Rikku objected, offended on her friend's behalf. The Ronso elder glanced at her, but did not respond.

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence around them… and the biting wind.

Finally, the larger Ronso turned towards Yuna, hoping to shake off the shame that the elder had inadvertently placed on him with his concession. He nodded his head. "High Summoner Yuna, it is Garik's honor."

Yuna turned towards him with an open smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Her words encouraged the Ronso, and his natural boldness quickly returned. "Garik know Yuna save Spira." There he grew severe once more – which was only typical of most Ronso. "But… Ronso not saved yet."

Yuna had a feeling she knew what he meant. She glanced from Garik back to Kimahri. "If it would please you, we'll look into finding Lian and Ayde for you."

Garik growled at the offer and turned to vanish into the landscape as quickly as he had come without another word. Kimahri, however, seemed more grateful.

"Kimahri worried about Lian and Ayde," he said. "But Kimahri cannot leave mountain. If Yuna find Lian and Ayde, bring them back to Gagazet."

"Of course I will," the Summoner assured him. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but then she hesitated, and looked down. She just wasn't sure how she wanted to say it.

But Kimahri… he knew Yuna just as well as she knew him. And he was watching her attentively. "Something troubles Yuna."

"Huh?" Rikku and Paine both turned their eyes towards the Summoner, but she was standing between them and Kimahri – and facing the latter. She didn't turn to look at them.

"Yes," she whispered – though Kimahri could easily hear her. Looking up, she said: "I wanted to thank you for the sphere you showed Rikku. And I… was just…"

"You want to know if Kimahri has found a second," the Ronso said, slowly shaking his head. "He has not."

"I see," Yuna looked down quickly, knowing full well that it was impossible to hide her disappointment. Maybe Paine was right. Maybe they _should_ have hurried straight to Zanarkand instead of taking their time about it. Because logically… there _wouldn't_ be any other place to find a sphere of _him_. Would there?

Kimahri took a step towards his charge. "Yuna search for Ronso pups. Kimahri search for sphere of Guardian. We meet one day again."

Yuna looked up at him, visibly brightening. "That sounds like a great idea, Kimahri!"

"Yeah!" Rikku energetically agreed. She jumped forward and caught Yuna's arm. "And when we find everyone we're looking for, we'll have a grand old reunion! Right?"

Yuna nodded. "Sure!" She turned to towards the sphere hunter. "What do you think, Paine? You could come, too!"

Paine stared at her with an expression as cold as the wind. And in her heart, she was freezing by it. She couldn't help but wonder… would she ever have such an opportunity? To reunite with the friends she had once had? It was hard just thinking about it. It seemed so unlikely.

But then… it probably did to Yuna, too. Whoever it was that she was looking for… the way Paine understood it, it seemed unlikely that this man even existed anymore.

So that was it, then. Yuna and Paine… two women on a journey together, searching for the past, and wondering if they would ever have another chance with their loved ones again… It was so pathetic.

In answer to Yuna's question, Paine shook her head. "It's not wise to plan so far ahead like that. It's better to just take one day at a time and not be disappointed." Her own past experiences had taught her that. The hard way.

"Ooh," Rikku stared at her in astonishment. "I don't know if I've ever heard you say anything that deep before! Ever!"

Paine scoffed and looked away.

But Yuna couldn't. She gazed at the sphere hunter in silent dismay. So Paine had been disappointed once… otherwise, she would not have known to say something like that. But what had disappointed her? And why?

Yuna had to admit, there was some truth behind what Paine said. Because even now she could hear _his_ words.

_"Let's go to Zanarkand!"_

_"We can all fly there!"_

_"Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out, one by one. The stars fade… Then it's kinda rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city. It gets brighter and brighter, till everything glows. It's really… pretty. I know you'd like it."_

They had had so many hopes and dreams back then… dreams that would never come true… that _could_ never come true. Because that was all he had been. A dream. A dream that had faded.

Paine was right. It wouldn't have hurt so much if they hadn't of dreamt together. But then again… if that hadn't dreamed… they wouldn't have had any hope…

Yuna had to stop now. She could feel the tears threatening to spill into her eyes, and on such a frigid mountainside, it would not have been the wisest idea to start crying. She blinked several times, and looked back to Kimahri. "We should go. We're headed to Zanarkand."

Kimahri spoke not a word in his response.

**ooooooo**

And so they parted company with the great Ronso. Together, Yuna and Rikku led Paine to Mt. Gagazet's summit, where they came to a cave. Once they were inside, they found shelter from the cold, and surprising warmth. Using their dresspheres, they changed back out of the winter gear, and continued on.

Once, Yuna had passed this way with her Guardians. Now she was carrying on with only Rikku, and a sphere hunter. It still saddened her, and, surprisingly, considering how terrible a thing Sin was – she felt nostalgic for those lost times. Because _he_ had been there.

Lulu had said something of the sort once. Despite how things had looked back then, those days had been when Yuna was happiest. Because in those days, _he_ had been there.

Where was he now?

When would Yuna ever see him again?

**ooooooo**


	15. The Zanarkand Ruins

**ooooooo**

It did not take them long at all to reach the end of the great cave. This was probably because they did not have to solve any of the hidden trials, as Yuna and her Guardians had been forced to two years ago. This time, the path was open, and the way through it short and simple.

It was walking out of the cave that proved more emotionally trying. It had been the same once before… and now it was just as, if not even more, difficult for Yuna to carry on. Because this time, she felt even more alone.

They were standing at the edge of a great precipice that looked over the silent city of Zanarkand. It was not the Zanarkand she had dreamt of. It was not the city from which _he_ had come. No. _This_ Zanarkand was all that remained of the real one… The one that had _not_ been a dream. The one that was now just ruins.

For as far as she could see, buildings stood higher than in any other city – they were almost as high as the very precipice from which she, Paine, and Rikku all stood. And they were all built closely together – whatever streets there were in Zanarkand were entirely too narrow, in Yuna's mind.

_"Don't you ever get dizzy?"_

Most of those buildings, now, even though many still stood, had pieces missing out of them. There were chunks missing out of walls and ceilings – and no window panes whatsoever. Everything looked faded – Yuna had once seen a sphere of Zanarkand in its prime, and it had been so full of color. Blues, purples, and indigos, mostly. But there had been some gold and white from so many different lights. Streets had been filled with them, and with illuminant signs and clocks… And stretching over the city, there had been a wondrous blue arch…

But all that was gone, now. The only color left was a dismal gray. The buildings were nothing more than skeletons... Either that, or ghosts. What with the mist rising up and weaving between all that ruined architecture, the city truly did present itself before them like a specter.

For Zanarkand… it had been dead for a thousand years. This haunting image was all that remained of it.

Yuna sighed, and then turned to start making her way down the precipice – which narrowly winded down the side of Gagazet. It was a long and silent decline, in which her two companions spoke not a word – either out of respect, or out of overwhelming sorrow.

Even Paine could feel it… How much this city spoke of devastation… the birthplace of Sin. It was no wonder that Yuna had not been eager to return. Paine understood that now. And she regretted her attempts to push the Summoner. She should have listened to Rikku. From now on, she thought dismally, she would give the Al Bhed girl more credit, and remain patient with Yuna. They deserved that much for all of this.

Eventually, they reached the foot of the mountain. It was much warmer now, but the warmth offered no comfort. In the distance, they could see the streets of Zanarkand. But they hadn't reached them yet.

For they first came to a small foothill where Yuna paused in grief. Rikku and Paine waited slightly apart from her – Rikku lost in her own memories, and Paine lost in sympathy.

This had been where Yuna had sat with her Guardians that night. The seven of them… in silent communion, as they waited… and mourned for what they thought they were about to lose. Yuna had never spoken of it. She had not wanted to share those memories. She wanted to keep those feelings, and that place, within her, forever.

As they walked into the city, however, Yuna realized once again how much things in Spira had changed. There were people all over the place, walking up and down the streets, looking around as if they were sightseeing. Yuna blinked, even as Paine and Rikku openly gawked.

"A tourist attraction?" Paine asked in disbelief.

"Whose idea was that?" Rikku demanded indignantly. Yuna didn't say anything. She couldn't.

Taking a few steps farther into the city, she stared at all those people in dismay.

"Yuna?"

It had not been one of her companions to speak. It had been a male voice. Turning, Yuna watched as a man approached. He was taller and broader than she was, with a large blue coat worn over blue robes. His face was angular and pale, and his hair was brown and pulled up on the back of his head. Yuna placed him instantly in her memories.

"Lord Isaaru." It was the Summoner whose brother, Maroda, Yuna had encountered outside the Den of Woe, back on Mushroom Rock Road.

"Look how much you've changed," Isaaru smiled when he reached her, even as Rikku and Paine both backed the young woman up. And Rikku, despite herself, could not help but remember how Lulu had once told her that Isaaru had attempted slaying Yuna in Bevelle, after they had been branded traitors. She watched him carefully, but he made no reference to the incident, and neither did Yuna.

"It's good to see you again, Isaaru," Yuna told him lightly, with a small, but feigned smile that not even he could guess was insincere.

"It is an honor, my Lady."

Yuna hesitated for a moment, but then she just had to ask: "Why are you… how did all these people get here?"

"There's a courtyard not far from here that's large enough for an airship to land," Isaaru explained, causing Rikku to start in surprise. "That's where the Celsius is right now, I believe. The other ship that brought these people here has gone to gather more. It has become something of a ferry."

"But that means…" Rikku felt her body begin to shake. "The Al Bhed…"

Isaaru glanced at her and nodded. "You are correct. I am here to help Cid with his work." He glanced back at Yuna, who was listening coldly. "I guide people through Zanarkand, once the most sacred of places. People come from all over Spira." He tilted his head at the Summoner, with a coaxing smile. "Sphere hunters, too."

But Yuna wasn't distracted. She walked past him, staring at the tourists. None of them saw her there. None of them seemed to notice… to realize what sacrilege they were a part of.

"I don't believe it," Rikku said, feeling sick. Paine glanced at her silently as she stomped her feet angrily. "What is pop thinking?" It was disgusting! Her own _father_? Responsible for _this_? It was madness!

Isaaru looked back and forth between the two, obviously distressed by their behavior. He turned to stand next to Yuna. "I can see this is upsetting you. But this _is_ a place of great historical importance for all of Spira."

"I know, I know," Yuna assured him quickly. Inside, she didn't care. "But still… I never wanted anyone else to stand there." She stared at a few sightseers. They were standing between her… and her memories…

Truly, as Yuna watched, she saw no sign of the pyreflies that once had gathered there, as they gathered at the Moonflow, and in the Farplane. They were gone now. Yuna would see no vision of Seymour and his mother. She would see no vision of Sir Jecht, Auron, or her father. And thus… she would see no vision of her own pilgrimage… of her own Guardians… of _him_… Because the pyreflies seemed to have left. She had no idea how long ago.

"Yuna?" Isaaru cut into her thoughts.

"It's nothing," she told him quietly. "Forget it."

"If you wish," Isaaru sighed. He stood beside her for a few more seconds, and then sighed again. "If you'll excuse me, I must get back to work. Please take care, Yuna."

Without waiting for a response, he started forward, walking towards a small band of travelers. Yuna watched him go in sorrow.

"I will," she whispered as Rikku and Paine both joined her. Together, they silently made their way past the tourists, and deeper towards the heart of the city.

It was almost dark by the time they reached the dome. Only a few sightseers had traveled this far in, but even still, there were no pyreflies, and there were no signs of any spheres.

Yuna paused as Rikku and Paine continued forward. This city… it wasn't the same as it had been two years ago. Of course, time would always take its toll on such places. But the ruins had been there for a thousand years… and the damage this place had taken in just the last two made it seem a miracle that the ruins were as old as they were.

It was because of the Sending, Yuna realized. She had Sent Lady Yunalesca in this place. Was that why the pyreflies were gone? Was that why the city was rotting away faster than before? Because Yunalesca was gone?

Yuna trembled at such a thought. First, the Macalania Woods… and now Zanarkand…

_Why?_

All these changes in Spira were to make it better, right? But nothing could ever grow better without change. Yuna wondered if she could handle that change. She wondered if she would ever be able to accept what was lost, to let go, and see what had been gained.

Right now… she didn't want to.

Following Rikku and Paine, Yuna found herself standing before an enormous dome shaped Temple. And she hurried after Rikku as the Al Bhed led them inside – now using her locator to track the sphere.

However, they were all distracted immediately upon entering the building. For there were kids there! Three of them, to be exact. Two boys, and a girl.

One boy, Yuna immediately recognized as Pacce: Isaaru and Maroda's little brother. Maroda had said something about Pacce forming his own small group of sphere hunters… The Kinderguardians. This must be them.

"What was that clue, again?" the other boy was asking as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine curiously walked towards them from behind.

"Key," the girl was saying. She was smaller than the two boys. But none of them looked older than twelve.

"All right, let's head out," Pacce suggested.

"Yes, sir!" both kids proclaimed, turning to salute. But as they did so, they caught sight of Yuna and her friends, and they openly gawked in surprise.

"What?" Pacce turned around and saw the Summoner. He brightened considerably. "Lady Yuna!"

"Hello, Pacce," Yuna couldn't be miserable in front of three children. She smiled as she knelt down before them. "How've you been?"

Before he could answer, the girl poked him in the back. "You know the High Summoner?" She sounded ready to worship the kid.

Pacce grinned. "Sure! And you can, too!" He took her arm and shoved her towards Yuna. "This is Hana!" The girl's face turned a bright red as Yuna smiled at her. "And this is Taro." He nodded to the kid behind him, who completely _refused_ to come out and meet the Summoner.

Yuna glanced around Pacce towards him cheerfully. "I'm pleased to meet you both."

"It's nice to meet you, Lady Yuna," the kid said, still refusing to come out from behind his young leader.

Yuna sighed. "What are you all doing out here? There are fiends around."

Hana, growing used to the idea of speaking with the High Summoner, grinned cockily. "Fiends? Ha!"

Pacce nodded. "Uh-huh! We're not worried about fiends! We're sphere hunters!" He glanced at Hana, and she grinned. Together, they both declared: "The Kinderguardians!"

"The Kinderguardians!" Taro rushed to catch up, but didn't quite make it. It was his turn to grow bright red.

Rikku grinned, stepping forward. "So you're here on some kind of treasure hunt?"

"And 'key' must be a clue to finding the treasure," Yuna theorized.

Pacce nodded. "Uh-huh! That's right!"

"Ssh!" Hana pushed him slightly. "We paid fifteen whole gil for that! Come on… Let's go!"

Pacce nodded again, turning towards her and Taro. "Kinderguardians! Move out!" Hana and Taro both saluted, and then ran off. Pacce paused before rushing after them, and glanced at the Gullwings. "See ya, Lady Yuna!"

"Bye now," Yuna said as he started off after his friends. "And be careful!"

"Aww," Rikku teased as the Summoner stood up again. "How adorable."

"Fifteen gil for a clue?" Paine asked meanwhile, looking skeptical. She crossed her arms.

"I know," Yuna agreed. "It sounds suspicious." She started farther into the domed Temple. Before long, they rounded a corner and saw a man standing away from them, speaking into a radio transmitter.

"Come in! Come in!" the man urged through all the static that finally died down a little. "Do you read me? …Oh, hey. I wanted to double check that clue… It's 'mon,' right? …Nah, it's just that I heard some kids saying it was 'key.'… Yeah, I figured it was 'mon.' Over and out."

He hung the radio on his belt and turned towards the Gullwings, starting in surprise when he saw them. And Yuna and her friends were equally surprised. Because they suddenly recognized his uniform. He was a member of the Leblanc Syndicate!

"Wha…?" He shook his head in amazement. "The Gullwings?"

Paine ignored him as she looked at Yuna and Rikku. "The clues are 'key' and 'mon'?"

Something moved through the shadows to their right before anyone could answer her, and when Rikku glanced towards it, she saw a small little white head appear. She opened in mouth in astonishment. "Monkey!"

"Huh?" Everyone stared between the creature and the Al Bhed in shock.

And then Leblanc's goon glowered furiously. "We won't let you get off so easily this time!"

"Right," Paine rolled her eyes.

The goon charged towards her and Paine waited steadily. And right when the goon would have jabbed her in the face, Paine ducked aside. She grabbed the man's arm and powerfully spun him towards the wall. He hit it at a bad angle, and crumbled unconsciously to the floor.

Rikku chuckled. "Wow. Better not get Paine angry."

The sphere hunter didn't reply, but continued on through the Temple. Yuna and Rikku followed – with Yuna trailing slowly behind. She recognized their path. They were headed towards the Cloister of Trials that would lead into the Hall of the Final Summoning. And beyond that, in other Temples, the Chamber of the Fayth awaited, but here it had been Yunalesca's Chamber. Inside _this_ Temple, there had been no Fayth. Not in a thousand years…

She followed unhappily.

And eventually, they _did_ make it to the Cloister of Trials. Rikku shrugged as Yuna pushed the doors open. Maybe they wouldn't have to solve any puzzles –

The Al Bhed girl stopped mid-thought at the sight in front of her. There were monkeys! Several of them, just like the one from before scrambling around throughout the Cloister room! Tiny white monkeys that looked less like monkeys and more like mixtures of rabbits and rats. They were, however, pretty adorable.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine nevertheless glanced at each other uncertainly. They were all wondering where the creatures had come from. What they were doing there. And what was going on.

"The clue's 'monkey,' right?" Rikku asked, shifting on her feet. "Think it's just a coincidence?"

"Doubtful," Paine shook her head and started forward again. And much to Yuna and Rikku's relief, they found themselves capable of walking straight through the Cloister and into the next room without needing to solve the puzzle.

In the next room, there was a circular lift that led down. Yuna stepped onto it, and Rikku and Paine followed her example. Moments later, it descended down into darkness.

At the bottom, however, that darkness abated and they could see again. It was still dimly lit, but Yuna recognized the Hall of the Final Summoning perfectly well, and she could also see that they hadn't been the first to arrive.

"Welcome!" Cid turned around enthusiastically in order to greet them. He was a tall, broad shouldered man with incredibly tanned skin – and no hair whatsoever. He had deeply dark eyes, but right now they were alight with enjoyment. He was dressed in leather clothes, and metal pads covered his otherwise bare arms. Already in a good mood, when he saw his little niece, he brightened even more. "Well, I'll be! If it ain't Yuna!" He winked. "Come to buy a clue from your Uncle Cid, have you?"

Yuna didn't even have _time_ to reply before Rikku angrily charged forward.

"_Fryd yna oui drehgehk?"_ The Al Bhed was practically screaming. It was rare ever seeing her this mad – even with her brother. _"How could you?" _She pounced at him.

"Whoa!" Cid held up his hands to grab his furious daughter's shoulders, and for a moment she grappled uselessly against him. Finally she shoved off and glared. Watching her cautiously, he rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Rikku… Got a bone to pick?"

"You bet we do," Yuna said softly.

"Yeah!" Rikku was pissed. "Turning this place into a gift shop? _Hello!"_

Cid frowned. "What?"

"Please, Uncle Cid," Yuna glanced at Rikku before looking back at the girl's father. "I don't know how to say it… but this isn't right."

"Huh?"

"Well, _I_ know how to say it!" Rikku stepped towards her dad and shoved him angrily. "It's like turning the ruins of Home into a theme park!"

_That_ comment stopped the man short. He stared at his daughter, his face paling slightly as the thought swept through his mind. "Rikku… I…"

"What?" Rikku demanded. "You what?" Sometimes, back when a certain Guardian had spoken of his father, Rikku could _really_ relate.

"I see your point," he said glumly, walking past the three women and stepping onto the lift. It ascended immediately, leaving the Gullwings behind in silence.

"Ooh!" Rikku felt her body shaking slightly. "Dumb pop. He's always doing stuff like that!"

"Come on," Paine suggested quietly. "We're not finished here, yet."

"I know," Rikku assured her, looking back down at the locator. She glanced at Yuna hesitantly, and nodded towards Yunalesca's chamber.

Yuna took a deep breath, and nodded. Together, they walked in.

The Chamber was not what it had once been. It was in no way remarkable. There was dust all over the floor. Cobwebs had been formed in each corner. The large dome on the floor over which the Summoners used to pray was now black and lifeless. There was nothing there.

But Yuna's memories.

Two years ago, she, Rikku, and the rest of the Guardians had cast off their beliefs in that room. And… their false hope.

There was a sudden outburst of laughter.

"Huh?" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all glanced around, but could not make out where the noise was coming from.

"Who's there?" Rikku shouted out, somewhat nervously. What was going on?

"You have done well to make it this far, sphere hunters," a menacing voice said, seemingly from the walls themselves. "But you will not have the treasure you seek so easily!"

Paine tensed, drawing her sword, ready for anything. "So we fight."

"Ahh," the voice seemed to hesitate at _that_ proposal, and then quickly hastened on. "If you want the treasure, you must speak the password!"

"Password?" Paine asked, as Rikku and Yuna glanced at each other skeptically. What game was this?

"The clues…?" Yuna suggested helpfully.

"Oh, I know!" Rikku hopped forward, smiling eagerly and rather enjoying herself, despite everything. "The password is 'monkey'!"

"Umm," the voice hesitated again. "Yes. Good. Uh, okay! What is the meaning of life?"

"What?" Yuna asked in exasperation. _That_ was taking things a _little_ too far. "Is that you, Isaaru?"

"What?" Rikku glanced at the Summoner for a moment, and then grinned. "Hey! That sorta _does_ sound like Isaaru!"

"Is that your final answer?" the voice demanded, sounding slightly uncomfortable.

Rikku jumped forward and shouted at the ceiling: "The jig is up! Show yourself, Isaaru!"

"Fine." The voice did not sound terribly happy. But when Isaaru suddenly appeared, seemingly out of thin air, he smiled.

Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all turned towards him in amazement. Yuna tilted her head. "What are you doing?"

"My job," he told her with a shrug. "I'm supposed to bring excitement to those who come to see this sacred place." He sighed, and shook his head in regret. "I, too, once traveled with the hope of seeing this place one day." He glanced dejectedly around the Chamber. "Working here somehow fulfills that wish."

"I see," Yuna said.

"I must apologize for the quiz," Isaaru said, handing Yuna a sphere he had been holding. "That's what camouflaged me, if you were wondering. You can have it for your trouble."

"Thank you," Yuna nodded as she accepted it.

"Well," Isaaru shrugged. "I must be off!" He turned and started out of the Chamber. He paused only once to glance back over his shoulder with a wink. "And remember! The ruins of Zanarkand will be waiting!" He disappeared back out into the hall.

Rikku shook her head in amazement. "I guess Yunie's not the only one who's changed."

"I know," Yuna agreed.

"Ex-Summoners come in all flavors," Paine noticed.

Yuna actually smiled. "Apparently so."

"We done here?" Rikku asked, glancing at the sphere Isaaru had given Yuna. Her answer came from the locator in her hands that suddenly gave off a signal, catching her attention. She looked down at it thoughtfully. "Guess not."

She started towards the back of the Chamber, looking around on the floor and by each shadowy corner. Near the far end of the room, she let out a triumphant glee. "Aha! Found it!"

Yuna and Paine both started towards her curiously. How had a sphere ended up _there_?

"Aw man," Rikku turned towards them with the sphere in her hands. "It's broken! It's only half a piece!"

"What?" Yuna asked.

Paine frowned. "All this… for nothing?"

"Guess so," Rikku sighed. "Oh well." She pocketed both her locator and the broken sphere. "Can't hurt to take it with us."

"Of course not," Paine agreed, and together, the three of them headed out of Yunalesca's Chamber. They headed back up into the Cloister of Trials. And they left the domed Temple.

They walked down the streets that were sparsely crowded with tourists. They made their way through the growing shadows as the sky grew darker with the night. And they thought about everything that Zanarkand was… and had been…

Looking around at the tall buildings that towered over her – even if they were broken, and surrounded by rubble – she could see in her mind their once magnificence. It brought tears to her eyes trying to imagine what this place had once been like. What had it been like for _him_? For Yunalesca? And for everyone else who had once called Zanarkand their home? What would it have been like to live there?

She thought about so many things. _He_ had been a Blitzball player. A star. Captain of his Zanarkand Abes… Somewhere in this ruin, there was a stadium… if Yuna could see it… would she be able to imagine him playing there, when it was all lit up at night with thousands in the stands cheering just for him? And how many other places in this city would be like that? Where she could go and stand where he had once stood in his life before he had known her?

She wished… she wished she was naïve enough to go looking. But the truth was… he had only been a dream. He had only ever been in this place once… and that had been two years ago, with Yuna. So it was really pointless to go looking for him now.

_What… am… I giving up hope?_

She couldn't bring herself to just yet. She forced herself to hold on for awhile longer. It didn't have to be over. It was just this place overwhelming her. She couldn't stay in it any longer.

Eventually they arrived in the courtyard that Isaaru had spoken of, and which, sure enough, contained the Celsius, waiting ever so faithfully for their return.

Yuna sighed when she saw it. For that meant it was time to carry on with her journey, and to leave this lost city of despair.

As Paine climbed into the airship, and as Yuna and Rikku were about to follow, the Al Bhed glanced at her cousin in concern. "Are you okay, Yunie?"

Yuna hesitated, and glanced over her shoulder back at the desolation behind her. She exhaled. "I just can't believe how much this place has changed."

**ooooooo**


	16. Kilika

**ooooooo**

Morning came swiftly, and as the Gullwings gathered together in the Celsius' cockpit once again, Yuna could already feel her earlier despair in the Zanarkand Ruins fading away. _He_ was still out there… Yuna knew it. She couldn't give up hope.

Presently, Brother and Buddy were gathered together by the navigator's chair, studying a few data screens. Growing excited, Brother spun around towards Rikku – who was, at that time, trying to irritate Shinra. "Ehlusehk tydy!" He turned towards the rest of the group. "Gullwings, du ouin cdydeuhc!" Translation: Incoming data! Gullwings, to your stations!

Rikku jumped to life immediately and dove towards her own chair as Shinra started working on a separate computer from the one he had been just moments ago. Yuna and Paine curiously walked towards Buddy.

"Rao," the Al Bhed said in delight. "Yfacusa."

Rikku glanced his way. "What's awesome?"

Buddy hardly acknowledged her, but turned towards Yuna and Paine. "We're getting reports of an 'awesome sphere.' Looks like it's already drawn quite a crowd. The reports are from Kilika Woods."

"I want that sphere," Yuna said resolutely, crossing her arms. And she got no argument from Paine.

Rikku was grinning very widely. "It's as good as ours! Let's scramble!"

Brother spun in his chair, his face slightly red. "Who is the leader? I am! _I_ give the orders around here!"

Paine smiled smugly. "We're listening."

Brother glanced at her appreciatively, failing to hear her sarcasm. He calmed down some while thinking about possible orders. It was all Rikku could do not to laugh out loud. "Let's go!" the Al Bhed captain finally proclaimed. "Party! Party!"

He turned the Celsius south, and began flying towards Kilika Island.

Yuna smiled as she thought of the port town. It had been the first stop on her pilgrimage two years ago. And, it had been where she had performed her very first Sending… after Sin had destroyed it. But then… once Sin had been defeated, the Youth League had helped rebuild it, allowing it to become the bustling town that it was now. That made it one of the first triumphs Spira ever celebrated after the start of the Eternal Calm.

Everyone had been extremely grateful… at first. Kilika had come to truly represent a new and a _better_ world. And unfortunately, with such a brand, in the past year, the port had managed to attract more than just a _little_ conflict.

Conflict between the Youth League… and New Yevon.

Both parties wanted a place in the heart of what symbolized Spira's new, remarkable future – free of Sin. And now… both parties were struggling for control there. It had become a hot seat of political tension.

Yuna rolled her eyes.

Kilika Island was, like Besaid, a tropical recess with its own Temple. Water flowed in streams all around it, and the town was build entirely upon a board walk. Not many of the buildings had actual walls, and the roofs were all thatched. It didn't particularly offer a great deal of shelter in that way, but the weather around the island had always been mild for the most part, and the temperature comfortably warm. There was no need for anything more. There were palm trees everywhere, and behind the town, there was a forest that led on to the Temple.

Yuna remembered climbing up those Temple steps on her pilgrimage. Actually… she had been running up them… racing her Guardians. Racing _him_. And on their way back down… he had screamed out his frustration like no self-conscience person would ever _dare_ do. It had been… one of the little things… back at the beginning… that Yuna had admired so much about him.

The Celsius flew over Kilika. It landed outside, between the port and the woods. Together, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all jumped out of the ship and headed into town to gather a few supplies before starting out into the forest to hunt for the 'awesome' sphere.

And as they were everywhere, people were _thrilled_ to see Yuna. They greeted her warmly, and spoke of her fondly, and yet… Paine was pleased to find that the Gullwings were not hindered even a _fraction_ as much as they usually were by such devotees. It was almost like… these people were _used_ to seeing Summoners. Paine figured out exactly why that was as the three of them, with their supplies gathered, tucked away in bags hanging over their shoulders or in their arms, began to head back towards the airship.

Yuna was striking up some conversation: "I wonder what this 'awesome sphere' is like."

And Rikku immediately and predictably surrendered to the bait. "It's gonna be awesome!" She couldn't help but chuckle at her own pun.

Paine rolled her eyes as Yuna agreed. "It will be, won't it?" Her eyes were shining. She just couldn't help but feel the excitement that came with being in a place where the very soul spoke of future possibilities.

Paine glowered at them. "Keep this up and someone will beat us to it."

"Sorry!" Rikku said as the sphere hunter quickened her pace. The Al Bhed and the Summoner hurried after her. "Hey! Wait up!"

The three girls were hastening towards the Celsius when they passed by one of the few Kilika huts that actually _did_ have walls – and a blanket hanging elaborately from the doorframe – where a man suddenly came stumbling backwards outside.

The guy was _huge_. He was easily as wide as he was thick, looking like a great square box both in his body and in his face. His expression was as thick as everything else, right now looking equally as disoriented. He dressed in green pants, and two straps crossed over his enormous chest. But other than that, he wore no shirt. His hair was short and brown, and his skin remarkably tan. Yuna immediately recognized him.

"Dona!" he cried out in seeming despair. His name was Barthello, and he was a Summoner's Guardian.

Yuna paused and tilted her head curiously as another woman appeared – much more gracefully than the man – past the door flap and out onto the boardwalk. So the Summoner, Lady Dona, was living here with Barthello?

Dona was an elegant woman – tall and thin – and with an attitude. She wore a revealing yellow dress, and her skin was decidedly brown. She kept her glossy black hair pulled out of her face, and on her forehead, there was a small red jewel. Presently, she was glaring furiously at her Guardian, and completely _ignoring_ any spectators.

"My, my, my," she told him contemptuously. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Dona!" Barthello's anguish seemed limitless, but the Summoner would hear none of it.

"Go on," she ordered harshly. "Leave."

"Dona…" he watched her for a moment longer before he gave in, and he turned and ran down the boardwalk, away from the Gullwings. Dona watched him go, and for a minute, she seemed to regret what she had said.

"Wow," Rikku chirped, catching Dona's attention. She turned towards the three women in surprise.

"Well," her gaze landed on Yuna. "Look who we have here." Dona, Yuna knew entirely too well, had always considered herself the other's rival. They had never exactly been intimate.

"Good to see you," Yuna nevertheless greeted her. Dona nodded her agreement.

"What's with Barthello?" Rikku asked, only mildly interested.

Dona sighed. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I am with the Youth League, and he is with New Yevon."

Ouch. The thought past through both Rikku and Paine's minds.

"It makes living together rather difficult." Now _that_ was the understatement of the year.

Yuna was genuinely sorry. "But you've been together for so long…"

"To each his own," Paine said, noting the dark expression crossing Dona's face.

"Exactly," she snapped. "Butt out." Yuna flinched, and could not think of a reasonable response as the other Summoner turned and reentered her home. For a moment, she couldn't move away, either.

But Rikku shrugged it off. "Come on. We've got our own problems to deal with, remember? Like finding that sphere!"

"I guess," Yuna agreed, and together, the three of them continued on their way. But as they were reaching the town's gates, they found themselves standing in the midst of a rather large crowd. The atmosphere immediately reminded Yuna of Bevelle. Something big was going on… and it was political.

"These all sphere hunters?" Yuna wondered, as she, Rikku, and Paine pushed their way through as best they could with their arms so full of supplies.

"I don't think so," Paine shook her head. Rikku was the first to break through the crowd, and when she had, she paused to wait for the others while looking to see what the fuss was all about. And not too far away from where she herself was standing, she could see a certain, mighty figure that had the attention of the entire crowd, even though he was speaking privately with two other men.

And like everyone else, Rikku was quickly captivated by his presence. He was _definitely_ a man of great charisma. "Look over there," Rikku quickly pointed him out as Paine and Yuna joined her. "Who's that?" They both followed the Al Bhed girl's gaze.

The man she was looking at was both tall and broad. He dressed entirely in red, but for the white furry hide on his right shoulder, and his left leg and arm, both of which were prosthetic, and forced him to rely on a silver cane. He had a dark, weathered face that was angular and severe. The glasses that he wore over his eyes did nothing to help soften his expression… or rather… _lack_ of expression. He had long brown hair – some of which fell into his face and wouldn't be bothered with. A single strand of it, however, was pulled back, and flowed to the ground.

"Nooj," Paine couldn't help herself. As soon as she saw him, her heart started racing faster than it had even in the past week with Gippal and Baralai. This was unbelievable! After two years of complete separation, they were, all of a sudden, running into each other again and again as if no time had past at all!

Yuna glanced at her curiously. "Meyvn of the Youth League, right?" Paine nodded in confirmation.

Suddenly, Nooj broke away from the two men he had been addressing, and walked so that he was standing before the entire crowd. He faced them. "Greetings, friends!"

Everyone suddenly became quiet, and Paine scoffed. That was so like Nooj! All he had to do was open his mouth and the world became attentive.

"An important sphere is hidden in Kilika Temple," he stated, gaining even _more_ of Yuna and Rikku's undivided attention. "A sphere documenting the true history of Spira. We are here today to demand that New Yevon make the contents of that sphere public." Here, Nooj grew to sound contemptuous and Paine had to admit he was good with a crowd. "Yet, as always, the voice seeking truth goes ignored."

Yuna suddenly grew uncomfortable. How ignored had she been two years ago when _she_ had gone seeking the truth? This wasn't a situation she suddenly wanted a terrible part of.

"My friends," Nooj continued. "I ask you: why? Because New Yevon wants to hide the truth! Just as the Temples did before them!"

_Was that really what happened?_ Yuna knew it was, but in her heart, she didn't want to blame anyone in Spira for it. The ones truly responsible had all been Sent to the Farplane. Couldn't they just let the past go?

_Can't you?_ There was still too much in the past to hold onto, and Yuna felt slightly hypocritical.

"I tell you now," Nooj declared. "This has gone on long enough! My friends, stand with me, and together we will bring the truth back to the people."

The crowd cheered. All but Yuna, Rikku, and Paine. Rikku, however, felt the desire to at least clap her hands, but with all the supplies in her arms, she couldn't very well manage. Yuna and Paine, however, had no desire to show support whatsoever. For Yuna wasn't sure she agreed with Nooj's words. And Paine wasn't naïve enough to believe that if Nooj got his hands on any spheres, he'd show them to the public either. No. He'd hoard them as much as he claimed New Yevon would.

She scowled. What exactly was it in those spheres that Nooj and Baralai were both looking for so adamantly?

"But," Nooj was speaking again, and in a condescending voice. "Let's not overdo it. Our opponents aren't as young as they used to be." This earned a few laughs, but caused Yuna to feel all the more disapproval.

Suddenly, Nooj turned and departed. The two men he had earlier been speaking with followed behind him, and the rest of the crowd began to disperse.

"Come on," Paine started towards the Celsius. "Let's put these away and get that sphere." Yuna and Rikku quickly followed, and as they went, the Summoner reflected on the Youth League's leader.

"Not exactly what I expected," she said. Rikku agreed, and once they had stored their supplies onboard the airship, they hurried back towards the Kilika Woods.

"So what now?" Rikku asked. "Call it quits?" Could they reasonably fight with the entire Youth League over a single sphere? Paine seemed to think so.

"Don't know about you," she said with a shrug. "But I could use an awesome sphere."

Yuna smiled eagerly. "Okay. If they can't decide who it belongs to, I say let's make it our own! Right?" There really was no use getting worked up over the politics if she wasn't willing to actually _involve_ herself in them. So she should concentrate more on sphere hunting and less on any rivalry between the Youth League and New Yevon. The important thing was finding… him.

"Right!" Rikku jumped forward and held her palm out high above her head. Yuna stepped forward, lifting hers as well, and they both looked expectantly at Paine. The sphere hunter sighed, but rolled her eyes and decided to humor them. They all three brought their palms together in cheerful high fives. And then Yuna dove into the woods, with Rikku and Paine at her feet.

The path through the Kilika forest twisted in several directions like a maze. There was more than one way to get through to the Temple, and Yuna was familiar with most of them.

That day was a warm one, especially on such a tropical island, but it didn't bother Rikku or Paine at all – both of whom had spent quite a lot of time on Bikanel Island. And even Yuna was completely at ease – for Kilika was no better or worse than Besaid.

The trails all eventually led to one crossroad – and by the time Yuna, Rikku, and Paine had reached it, there were a handful of others already in a heated discussion right in the center. Yuna and her companions remained at a slight distance from them, as they listened and watched.

"Hand over the sphere!" one Kilikan was ordering a man who dressed in New Yevon's armor. "The Temples have controlled Spira's secrets long enough!"

The Yevon guard genuinely looked like he didn't know what was going on. "Secrets? What's this about?"

"Don't play dumb!" the Kilikan shouted, growing red in the face. "We know you're guarding something!"

The guard glanced at his two allies, both of whom looked completely awed. After all, they were just guards. It wasn't like _they_ were told everything that went on inside their party.

"We're here to guard our families from rabble like you!" one of the other guards told the four Youth Leaguers. Which only angered them further, of course.

"What did you say?" the Kilikan demanded furiously.

The one guard who had been silent all this time stepped forward, trying to sound reasonable. "I think it's time you left."

Yuna, who would have watched more of the scene in growing apprehension, was suddenly jabbed in her side by Rikku. Glancing at the Al Bhed, she then followed her gaze to watch Paine stepping off the trail and into the actual trees. Not a wise move, considering the fiends, but when the sphere hunter glanced over her shoulder to look back at Rikku and Yuna, both women followed her.

They silently pushed past the New Yevon guards, completely dodging the trail as they headed round to the Temple in the cover of the thick trees and undergrowth.

And yet… even _despite_ their best efforts, when they reached the Temple and climbed up its great staircase, they found that a small band of Youth Leaguers had already beaten them there anyway.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine quietly entered the Temple courtyard to see, none other than, Dona, herself, cornering a single New Yevon Priest with a vicious gleam in her eyes. Her two companions seemed no less malicious, and the poor Priest looked entirely overwhelmed.

Yuna frowned. _How had Dona beaten them here?_ She must have entered the forest while the Gullwings were storing their supplies on the Celsius… and, considering she lived in Kilika, she probably knew a few shortcuts through the woods that Yuna didn't…

Presently, the Priest was trying to be rational. "Which is why I keep telling you-"

"Shut up," Dona cut in. She spoke with the arrogant authority Yuna remembered from her pilgrimage. "Just give us the sphere and we'll be on our way."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Priest said in such a pleading voice that not even Yuna could bring herself to believe him.

And, sure enough, a young Kilikan suddenly bolted out of the Temple, towards Dona. "I found it!" He held up a red, glowing sphere in his hand, and smiled proudly. Yuna stared at him in surprise – he looked no older than Clasko! Kids really shouldn't… be so involved in such things… It was yet another thing that saddened her.

Dona smirked, staring at the guard contemptuously as her two companions moved to greet the boy. "There you have it."

The entire courtyard suddenly seemed to shake.

"Huh?" Dona and her friends, as well as Yuna and hers, all braced themselves, looking around in complete amazement as the cowering Priest seemed to rise up above them. He no longer seemed so pitiful, but glared at the Youth Leaguers in disgust.

The shaking stopped, and without another pause, from the forest came an incredible piece of machina. It seemed to be moving on its own – and was definitely a weapon. It almost resembled a man – a man with no legs and a round torso, round shoulders, and round arms. Everything about it seemed to be shaped like several giant globes, and it towered above the Youth Leaguers and the Gullwings – being at least twice as tall as any of them.

Dona and her allies slowly backed away from it, the Summoner merely looking angry while her friends looked frightened. But not even _Dona_ would have been able to fight it. Summoners, after all, no longer had the ability to Summon.

"I had a little something prepared for just such an occasion," the Priest told them cruelly. He glared at the boy who had managed to slip inside the Temple underneath his nose to take the sphere. "That belongs to us. Nice knowing you."

Yuna flinched. It struck her, right then and there, just how terrible the tension really was between the two parties. Never before had she even _contemplated_ the thought of such violence actually breaking out. And now she was watching it! This was bad… it could lead to real, violent aggression, couldn't it…? How could Yuna not have seen it before?

Completely shocked by the naïveté she had sworn to abandon long ago, Yuna could only stare at the scene before her. She could only stare as the huge machina bore down on the Youth Leaguers. Had nothing she'd done two years ago mattered? Why was this happening?

Fortunately for Dona and her friends, Rikku and Paine didn't freeze like Yuna. In fact, the Al Bhed was on top of her game, as their opponent was nothing more than a piece of machina.

She charged forward, touching one of her own spheres – a dressphere – which instantly engulfed her in golden light. When the light faded, she was dressed in a Black Mage Garment – she wore jester-like boots that stretched up her legs to her thighs, a tight red miniskirt, and a black top that had baggy long sleeves. And to top it all off, on her head, she wore a large, pink pointed hat. On Rikku, the garment was delightfully suitable.

Pausing for a second to adjust to the powers that now flowed through her veins – for since the garment had been made for a black mage, Rikku now possessed the powers of a black mage – she glanced back towards Paine. "Go for the lower center globe! It won't be able to hold itself up!"

The Priest watched in complete _astonishment_ as Dona and her companions quickly got out of the way. Rikku spun around and held up her arm, releasing those powers that swept through her like a raging current.

Ironically, it was lightning that magically shot forth from her fingers – charging towards the machina, sparkling and electrifying. The intensity of the spell nearly swept Rikku off her feet – but she managed to control it.

The attack pushed the machina back several feet, and even after the spell dissipated, the thing sparked with several small voltages of wayward electricity. Damage had definitely been done by the Al Bhed.

Paine dashed towards the machina, drawing her sword. Jumping into the air, she crashed down towards her opponent, sending her blade careening into its metal exterior. Inside, the wires erupted, and several tiny explosions could be heard. Paine jumped back, evading injury as the machina collapsed into a very large pile of junk.

The New Yevon Priest practically fell over himself in dismay as Rikku turned towards him with a happy grin. "How do you like that?"

The Priest could honestly not reply.

Dona strode forward, rather ungratefully. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Rikku changed back into her regular garment as Yuna forced herself to meet her rival. Her arms and legs were trembling slightly, but she couldn't let anyone see… she didn't want anyone to know how disgusted she felt. "We're sphere hunters."

"So?" Dona turned to glare at Yuna in offense.

"Gullwings," Yuna took a deep breath and looked at Rikku and Paine. "Let's go!" Her voice sounded keen enough, but also soft. Looking back at Dona, though, she realized no one seemed to notice that fact. "Sorry, Dona, but the sphere is ours!"

While Yuna had been speaking, Rikku had quietly pressed a button on the small transmitter hooked to her belt. The signal carried over to the Celsius, and Brother responded immediately. Before Yuna had finished her last sentence, the airship rose into the sky – becoming visible to everyone at the Temple. It zoomed in on them, needing only a few seconds to cross the distance.

Dona and the New Yevon Priest – not to mention the other Youth League Kilikans – stared at it in _complete_ disbelief. The poor kid who had been holding the sphere actually dropped it onto the ground.

Paine sheathed her sword, and made for that sphere. And no one could bring themselves to stop her. Gracefully picking it up, the woman smirked at the Kilikans. "Tough luck."

She turned and followed Yuna and Rikku as the two of them started off towards the Celsius.

**ooooooo**


	17. Yuna's Dream

**ooooooo**

The sun shone brightly over the land of Spira, and from the airship, so high above it all, everything seemed calm and tranquil. Political tension seemed worlds away to Yuna, who was herself still trying to overcome her earlier shock from the Youth League New Yevon conflict at the Temple.

Had things _always_ been this bad? Why hadn't she seen…?

Behind her, Shinra was at work with the awesome sphere while Rikku related the events in Kilika to Brother and Buddy. She was _terribly_ enthusiastic. Perhaps too much so.

Hopping up and down on the balls of her feet, she turned towards Paine. "Did you see their faces? They totally wet their pants!"

_Rikku_… Yuna turned uncertainly towards the Al Bhed. "Maybe we overdid it…"

"'_Overdid_ _it_?'" Brother demanded in absolute disbelief. Like his sister, he was enjoying all of this just a _little_ bit too much. "There is no such thing! The Gullwings shall be notorious throughout Spira!"

Rikku was inclined to agree.

Paine, however, was not. "They weren't all that happy." She thought back to the New Yevon Priest… and to Dona… they would, right now, probably be red-faced in fury.

"Huh?" Rikku stared at her in incredulity. Why couldn't these guys just get lost in the moment once in awhile? They were always too serious!

Paine was frowning at her. "Don't forget that notoriety can be a bad thing."

"So what?" Brother demanded, speaking his sister's thoughts aloud. "I want to have fun!"

Buddy shook his head in cautious amusement. "Just make sure you don't do anything to land us in hot water, okay?"

"Aww," Rikku started hopping on her feet again. "Where's the fun in being plain old regular sphere hunters?" She reminded Paine of a whiny little girl.

"Yeah!" Brother agreed. "What she said!" He looked at Rikku, who looked at him, and together they started grinning maniacally.

"Oh no," Paine's head fell backwards in aggravation. Yuna watched her curiously.

"What?" she asked.

Shinra, who finished his sphere analysis, turned round in his seat and looked directly at the Summoner. "Whenever Rikku and Brother agree," he straightforwardly explained. "Bad stuff happens."

Yuna immediately thought back to something she had heard Auron say two years ago to… her Guardian… _"Jecht said that a lot, too. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me."_

She chuckled. "That… can't be good." Shinra just shrugged, and Yuna felt it was time to get back to business. "How'd the sphere analysis go?"

The question immediately composed Rikku. She turned solemnly towards the boy genius. Its recording… just might be important… If they were lucky.

"It's a regular movie sphere," Shinra said, tossing it up into the air and expertly catching it again. "It doesn't appear to have any special functions. I highly doubt I'd be able to add it to the Garment Grid… You wanna take a look?"

"Sure," Yuna nodded her head, her breath catching in her throat, which burned a little. Why…? What was so different about this sphere, that it would make her so terribly anxious?

Shinra placed the sphere on the floor and turned it on before standing back to watch. Almost instantly, a hazy image materialized. Because the sphere was so old, static caused that image to quiver and made the sound rather fuzzy. But one thing about it could be easily made out.

It showed an _enormous_ piece of machina. Yuna felt her heart pound as she took in what looked to be something like a terrible, dangerous fiend.

It was a mixture of three monstrosities. Its body resembled a great, _giant_ tarantula – and its face looked like a spider's and a human skull's blended into one. Behind it, a great scorpion's tail curved and twisted – ready to strike out at absolutely _anything_. It was gray and… disturbingly elegant. There was refinement to this monster that made it look magnificent – despite its hideousness.

That _thing_ the Priest had used to attack the Kilikans at the Temple earlier… it had been nothing more than a small heap of _rubbish_ next to this…

Yuna felt like she couldn't breathe, and when she glanced at Rikku, even the Al Bhed, who felt entirely at ease with _any_ kind of machina, was staring at it with a pale, terrified face.

The image slowly turned to the right, where a great iron platform stretched out towards the machina. And as Yuna watched, a figure walked towards the end of that platform, watching the machina as intently as she was watching the sphere. Possibly even more so.

The figure seemed to be on guard, and he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was behind him. And as he did so, Yuna and Rikku both got a very, _very_ good look at his face.

It was _him_!

Yuna felt herself stepping backwards. Moving _away_ from this image of _him_. She didn't know why. It seemed like she _should_ be doing the exact opposite. She _should_ be moving towards him. She wanted to be with him so much!

But something was wrong. Yuna felt terrified, and did not want to be any closer to that sphere than she absolutely had to be. It made her feel sick.

_Why…?_

The man in the sphere seemed satisfied that he was alone. He turned back to the machina. "You know," he said – speaking in the same voice Yuna had heard a million times… but with _such_ an _unfamiliar _tone… She shivered as he continued: "You're all I can count on to save Lenne."

Something sounded behind him – off the image. Nevertheless, he heard it, and he spun around once again to see something behind him. But that was when the image completely dissolved. The sphere shut off.

For several minutes, no one moved. No one spoke. Even Paine was frozen in her alarm.

After awhile, though, Brother spoke in a frightened whisper: "Fryd eh Spira ec dryd machina?" What on Spira was that machina?

"Any ideas?" Buddy asked nervously.

"Not a one," only Shinra seemed to be somewhat relaxed. He spoke in his regular voice. After all. This sphere _had_ been recorded an entire _thousand_ years ago. What were the odds that thing was still around? "But as machina go, it looks extremely dangerous. Definitely a weapon."

"Yunie…" Rikku wrapped her arms around her stomach uncertainly. It was not the machina that unnerved her now. It was the man. "It's him…"

Paine, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra all turned to look at the Al Bhed in confusion. _That_ was who Yuna was looking for?

But Yuna wasn't sure. It didn't feel like… she had _never_ heard him speak in that tone before… that clandestine, underhanded voice that seemed more devious than not. It just wasn't characteristic of the man she had journeyed with two years ago. Was it him…? Or did it just look like him?

"U tyr'd mega drec cbrana," Brother said, crossing his own arms unhappily. He _definitely_ didn't like this sphere.

Yuna barely heard his voice. She couldn't stop staring at the sphere on the ground as another question formed in her mind. Who's this… Lenne?

"Gullwings!" Brother suddenly declared, standing tall and firm. "Front and center!" His voice brought Yuna back out of her musings, and she turned towards him as the others had.

"So, uh," Brother shrugged. "Let's give back that sphere, what do you say?" He gazed at all of them hopefully, even as they stared back in utter amazement.

"But we worked so hard to get it!" Rikku objected, silently realizing that even if she couldn't tell who the man in the sphere really was, he looked close enough to being Yuna's Guardian for the Al Bhed to want to hold onto the image… and not let it slip away.

"That thing is _uber_ bad news!" Brother insisted, glaring at his sister. They just _had_ to get rid of it.

"What if we donated the sphere to the study of Spira's history?" Buddy asked, once again trying to be the voice of reason. "That's what being a sphere hunter was originally about, right?"

Paine scoffed at that. "It's a little late to be bringing that up." Buddy flushed and nodded his concession.

"Yeah," Rikku nodded her head in agreement. "We already swiped it!"

"Well," Brother shrugged, and stared at his sister determinedly. "I still don't want it. We're giving it back. Now." And _that_ sounded like an order.

"Okay," Yuna agreed, nodding her head. Everyone turned towards her, none of them more surprised than Rikku.

"You don't mind?" she asked her cousin, somewhat startled.

Yuna shrugged. "I've seen it." Besides, she agreed with Brother. That sphere was… frightening… and not just because of the machina. _I'd like to think that I could recognize him anywhere… But that man in that sphere… I just didn't… _recognize_ him…_ Her heart trembled.

Buddy was shaking his head. "It's still pretty shameless to saunter up and give back the sphere we just stole."

Brother stared at his friend impatiently. "Oui pi xiead!" You be quiet!

A smirk tugged on Paine's lips. "Our reputation is all but worthless if we do that. Our leader's, too, no less."

Brother's face slowly turned red. "Crid ib!" Shut up!

Yuna sighed, and looked down. "This isn't any fun at all…" Her heart wasn't the only thing shaking now… her legs were, too, and Brother's shouting didn't help.

Rikku glanced at her, and noticed. She nodded her head. "We really gotta let off some steam." After a sphere like _that_ one, even someone like _Lulu_ would have asked for the same.

"Whaddaya got in mind?" Buddy asked. Rikku looked at him uncertainly and glanced at Yuna, who shrugged.

Leave it to a kid to answer _that_ question.

Shinra leaned forward in his seat. "Why don't we ask Yuna to dance?" Everyone stared at him in amazement, and he just chuckled. He probably hadn't been serious, but… people who normally didn't tease would _always_ be taken seriously.

"Dance?" Yuna felt the heat rushing into her face. The last time _she_ had danced – her imposter _not_ included – had been when she had performed her last Sending. And she had no idea if _that_ was what Shinra meant.

"That's it!" Leave it to Brother to agree with a little kid on such matters. He turned eagerly towards Yuna, forgetting all about the sphere dilemma. "Yuna, you must dance!" _Now_ he remembered the sphere, and glanced at it in disgust. "Our sanity depends on it."

"That sounds like an order, Yuna," Paine sounded amused. It was out of character for her, and when the Summoner glanced at the sphere hunter, she could see that amusement in the woman's crimson eyes. It made for a nice change.

"The exercise will do some good," she submitted, all the while wondering how on Spira she was going to dance when her legs were shaking so much.

Brother practically jumped up and down in victory. "Whoopee!"

Yuna forced herself to smile, but at the same time, she felt crowded and cornered. She needed to get out of that room. "Hang tight while I get ready." She turned and bolted out of the cockpit.

Reaching the cabin, Yuna sat down at the bar and asked for some water. Both Clasko and O'aka were there, and as Barkeep handed the Summoner a glass, they watched her in concern.

"Is something the matter, Lady Yuna?" Clasko asked.

"I'm fine," Yuna assured him, and once again forced herself to smile. She was very good at that. She had told _him_ once… she had learned to practice smiling when she was sad. It had once been difficult for her to do… But she had gotten better. "Brother ordered me to dance tonight. Are you going to watch?"

Clasko and O'aka both looked completely stunned, and neither could answer right away. And even if they _had_ been able to, their words would have been interrupted by a sudden blast of sound. Yuna started, and looked around to see where the noise had come from.

"What's that sound?"

O'aka shrugged. "Oh, just some hitchhikers Brother picked up back 'n Kilika. Colorful bunch."

"Really?" Yuna stood up, grateful for the distraction, and started off towards the corridor beyond the cabin where the sound had come from. When she reached the place, she saw an assortment of men – of all shapes and sizes – fiddling with instruments as a small little figure hobbled around giving orders and instructions. Yuna immediately recognized him as the same little figure she had met in the Moonflow.

"Tobli?" she asked, causing the little guy to spin around in delight.

"Lady Yuna!" he proclaimed happily as he waddled up towards her. "It is an honor!"

Before Yuna could respond, Rikku suddenly appeared in the corridor behind her. "Yunie, do you-?" The Al Bhed girl stopped short when she saw the musicians. "Hey!"

Tobli and Yuna both watched her curiously as a wide smile broke out onto her face. She looked at the Summoner mischievously. "I think I just had a spark of inspiration!"

Yuna hesitated, and tilted her head curiously.

**ooooooo**

"It's time for the show!" Rikku shouted as she led the Celsius's crew up onto the ship's broad-surfaced outer deck. They had landed outside the Moonflow some time ago, and with the stars shining brightly in the dark sky overhead, it was a truly perfect night for anyone to dance, let alone Yuna.

The Summoner had changed into her Songstress Garment. The same blue one that her imposter had worn at the concert some time ago. The same one that had overwhelmed her with someone else's emotions… causing her to dance like the pop star she most definitely was not.

Anyway, the garment had done a fantastic job calming Yuna down in the last fifteen minutes. Right now, her earlier fear, her earlier disgust, had faded away entirely, leaving behind a woman perfectly composed to put on a private show for her friends. _That_ was the power of such dresspheres.

Presently, Brother, Buddy, Shinra, Paine, Clasko, O'aka, and Barkeep were all gathered patiently together on the outer deck, with the airship's great headlights illuminating the entire area perfectly. Not far away, Tobli was positioning his tiny band of musicians – who would be providing all the music that night. And Rikku was standing beside Yuna, making sure her cousin was ready.

"And just remember," the Al Bhed said in conclusion. "If you want someone to get up and dance with you, all you gotta do is hint somehow, and I'll be right there with you in a second!"

Yuna grinned. "You just want the spotlight all to yourself."

Rikku shrugged. "Maybe you're right." She winked and turned round to join Paine.

Yuna glanced at Tobli, who was now gracefully awaiting her signal. She nodded to him, and he turned around towards his players. Immediately, they held up their instruments and began to play, following their conductor's lead. The music was cheerful, fast paced, and lively.

Yuna took a moment to catch her breath, and as she felt the rhythm flowing through her veins, the power of her garment suddenly came to life as well. The urge to dance took control again, but this time, when Yuna began to move, she was the one in command – not some forgotten rock star who had worn the dress who knew how long ago.

Yuna danced in her own way. The manner of her spins, the way she moved her arms, _did_ remind Rikku somewhat of the Sending… But there was also a hint of the same wild choreography she had picked up from her dance after the concert mixed in as well. Yuna moved to the same beat that Tobli's musicians played in – and the result was new and incredible.

Two years ago, Yuna had danced for the dead… Now, she was dancing for the living. It made so much difference. Rikku noticed that difference, and couldn't help but feel enraptured. Not even Paine could help it. _Everyone_ was awed by the Summoner's new dance.

And at that moment… Yuna truly did seem one with the stars above.

**ooooooo**

After the dance, Yuna found herself sitting alone, apart from the rest of her companions – all of whom were conversing happily amongst themselves… completely at peace. It would have been nice… But instead Yuna miserably found her thoughts returning to a certain, frightening sphere.

_"You know, you're all I can count on to save Lenne." _

Yuna trembled, wrapping her arms around herself. He hadn't… ever mentioned a Lenne before… Who was she?

A wave of anger coursed through her blood. Why… was she so mad? Was she jealous? Lenne…? "Who the heck is Lenne?"

Everyone immediately stopped talking and looked at Yuna – whose face had turned completely red in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to shout that out loud… And now… Yuna could see their concern… especially on Rikku's face. The girl looked like she desperately wanted to say something… but Yuna didn't want her to.

"I'm going to go to bed," the Summoner said, pushing up onto her feet. No one tried to stop her as she retreated back into the belly of the Celsius.

Everyone had been on the deck, so when Yuna made her way through the long, wide corridors of the airship, it felt completely abandoned… and empty. Which was kind of how she felt.

But it wasn't just her.

Something that was new to her, and unfamiliar to her, but nevertheless still _inside_ of her, felt overwhelmingly the same. Like someone had left her… and forgotten.

Forgotten what?

Yuna had never _once_ felt that _he_ might forget her. That he might forget what her love for him had meant… and find himself trapped in a world of bitterness and regret. Yuna had always hoped that… wherever he was right now… because he just _had_ to be _somewhere_, even if it wasn't in Spira… he was at peace. Because her heart would crumble if she thought that he was in pain, even for a second – even if it made her something of a hypocrite, because of the pain she herself felt whenever he wasn't near.

No. She wanted to be with him, but she didn't think he was some kind of danger. Or at least she hadn't… until now. Now, as she walked through those barren corridors, she – or something inside of her – was afraid for him…

Why?

Silently, Yuna entered the Celsius's cabin. Everything was just so overwhelming. Yuna couldn't even bring herself to think about how long it had been since she had last been so tired. It was a struggle just climbing up the ladder to her bed up in the loft.

When she reached it, she collapsed on top of it, and couldn't even bring herself to change out of the Songstress Garment before she fell asleep.

**ooooooo**

_It was dark. It was dark, even though there was strange green mist that distorted everything around it. Through that mist, she could feel herself running._

_She was so out of breath. Her throat was on fire, and it was physically painful moving her legs. Tears stung in her eyes… but everything else was so cold. Too cold._

_For some reason, she didn't stop. It wasn't that she _couldn't_ stop. It was that she didn't want to. Even if for nothing else, she would have run for eternity, because _he_ was running with her, his hand tightly grasping hers. _

_She looked up at him in surprise. What was…? She would have called out to him. She would have spoken his name. But as she opened her mouth, all she could do was choke on her words._

_That was when she heard the footsteps behind them. And that was when she realized why they were running. They were being chased by at least half a dozen murderous soldiers._

_She panicked. They both looked over their shoulders, frightened that their enemies were closing in on them. Frightened that there was no where for them to go._

_She stumbled, landing painfully on her knees as her right hand hit the floor – keeping her somewhat off her face. Her left hand didn't let go of his, and he reached with his other arm to help her back onto her feet. Despite all urgency, he was terribly gentle with her, and when she looked at him, she could feel his fear. Fear for her, and for no one else._

_As they started running again, with him slightly in front of her, grasping her hand so tightly that he might have been pulling her along, she realized what she was wearing._

_Her Summoning dress. The kimono she had worn on her pilgrimage two years ago…And he was dressed as he had been two years ago as well. In his black slacks – where one pant leg had been longer than the other. In his yellow jacket with the white hood, under which he wore no shirt. And the pendant… the silver pendant he wore on a silver chain round his neck – the one shaped like that tattoo on his father's chest. He still wore that, too._

_He was here. He was with her again._

_But the soldiers were behind them. And they were drawing nearer. _

_Her fear intensified as they found themselves scrambling up a ramp towards a circular dais. When they reached it, they both stopped short and stared at the _massive_ thing that now blocked their path. There was no where left for them to go. They had been cut off by something incredible… and terrible… She had no idea what it was. But it left her afraid. She was more afraid of it than she was even of the soldiers that now stood not even twenty yards away._

_Two spotlights suddenly flashed to life. She let out a small cry in surprise, as the two beams blinded her. She trembled as her eyes adjusted, and turned towards _him

_Several weapons were being handled as he pulled her up against him. They both looked at the soldiers in alarm, and she brought her hand up to his chest, praying to be drawn into him, so that even now, when they were about to be torn apart, she could hold onto him forever._

_He looked away from those men, and she looked up at him. The soldiers were aiming their guns, but neither of the two were paying attention anymore. There was no where for them to go… they just wanted to be together._

_She looked into his eyes. They were such a soft blue… and his hair such a pale blonde that it wasn't even as dark as his tanned skin… His face was so gentle… unchanging. But sad._

_She could see herself reflected in his eyes. A single tear was sliding down her cheek. So this was their fate…?_

_Several guns fired at once. _

_He moved to stand between her and the bullets._

_But not even he could save her from all of them._

_Most of the rounds plowed into his back… but one single bullet managed to tear its way into her breast._

_They were both propelled to the ground. He landed on his face only a few feet away from where she landed on her back._

_She looked at him… and reached for him… it hurt so much just to move her fingers. As close as they were… they had never been so far apart._

_He wasn't moving. Everything around him grew dark. She called out his name… but she made no sound at all._

_She wanted to scream. She wanted to weep. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him._

_But it was too late._

_And above them, their bodies were watched over by a silent, monstrous, titanic piece of machina. Everything went black._

**ooooooo**


	18. Nooj

**ooooooo**

Yuna awoke with a start, covered in sweat that did nothing to ward off the cold she was feeling. Her body and her breath were both trembling, and she could feel her blood, drop after drop, pulsating like fire through her veins.

She sat upright, barely able to see past the tears that blurred her vision, and automatically looked down at her breast – as if expecting to find a bloody puncture wound remaining from that awful dream. But there was nothing.

Yuna looked up, her distraught pouring out of her soul and into her face as she wrapped her arms around her chest and sat motionlessly on her bed. That dream… it had felt so real… she had found him again… only to lose him. It left her feeling devastated. Why?

"Yunie…?"

Yuna turned her head to see a greatly concerned Rikku climbing up into the loft with Paine close behind her. The sphere hunter looked equally worried.

"It's nothing," Yuna instinctively assured them, holding her hands up to wipe away the tears that even now congealed against her lashes. "It was just a dream."

"You don't generally have nightmares, do you?" Paine asked, crossing her arms – but unable to remain completely indifferent at that particular moment. Yuna shook her head.

"Did it mean anything?" Rikku asked, plopping down on the bed beside her cousin. Her presence was comforting, and Yuna felt herself relax.

"A dream's a dream," Paine scoffed at the Al Bhed, who replied indignantly:

"Not always!"

_Definitely_ not always. After all… _he_ had been a dream, hadn't he? Yuna looked down. "It… might… have meant something." What she wanted to say was: It _did_ mean something! He had been a dream of the Fayth! What if this was the closest she would ever get to him now? In dreams… where they were both killed… in front of that machina that she had seen in the "awesome sphere" from Kilika?

_He_ had been in that sphere, too… What…? Was there a connection…? Or was Paine right? Was it just an ordinary dream… visualizations of her own thoughts and fears?

"Uh," Rikku shrugged, and wrapped an arm around Yuna's shoulder. "Blame it on your new jammies."

Yuna started and looked down at her clothes in surprise. She was still wearing her Songstress Dressphere! Only then did she remember how she had been too tired to change out of it.

What on Spira? Was the dressphere a factor as well?

"I -" Yuna's voice shook, and she forced herself away from Rikku and onto her feet. She immediately changed back into her Gunner Garment. She didn't know why, but… she was growing to fear that particular Songstress sphere. Nothing about it made sense. First it took control of her body, forcing her to dance – and compelling her to enjoy that dance. And then it gave her nightmares? What for?

"Are you okay?" Rikku asked, standing up in worry. "What was the dream about?"

Yuna silently wished that Lulu was with them. She would have told Lulu about the dream in a heartbeat. There was nothing that she wanted now more than to discuss the nightmare with the one woman she thought of as a sister. But Lulu wasn't there. And Yuna couldn't speak of it to Rikku. The young Al Bhed would be… as frightened by it as the Summoner was… Yuna didn't want to place that kind of burden on her best friend.

"It's okay, Rikku," she said softly. "I just… don't want to think about it right now."

Rikku watched her sadly.

For a moment, all was silent.

And then Paine headed for the ladder. "Well if that's that, we should go."

Yuna turned towards her. "Go where?"

"It's morning, Yuna," Paine glanced at the Summoner over her shoulder. "There's going to be a briefing in the cockpit. Brother's determined to do something with that sphere." And then she turned and started down the ladder.

Yuna frowned. It was morning already? She started after the sphere hunter, eager for a distraction, and Rikku followed.

**ooooooo**

Unfortunately for Yuna, the distraction from her dream only brought back to her mind the rest of Spira's troubles. All things considered, there were still an awful lot of them.

The Gullwings were gathered together in the Celsius's cockpit, deep in conversation. And there seemed to be no end to that conversation in sight.

"Returning the sphere is all well and good," Buddy was saying. "But who do we return it to?"

Shinra shrugged, once again tossing the sphere in question up into the air and catching it as it came back down. "With the Youth League and New Yevon, it's a lose-lose situation."

Brother contemplated this for a moment, and then turned towards the Summoner. "What do you think, Yuna?"

What did _she_ think? _She_ thought they shouldn't get involved one way or another! After seeing the brutal conflict in Kilika, she had grown all the more horrified by the state of affairs in Spira, and had felt _that_ much more aversion towards it all. This was one fight she wanted to stay away from.

But then… if Brother was determined to step right into all of that… Yuna knew she had to, too. For she had agreed long ago that Brother was the one in charge. And she would follow his leadership. And hope that she wouldn't find herself as scarred as she had been after her last journey through Spira. Yevon, she was determined not to feel pain like that ever again. But… was that even possible?

She shook her head at Brother. "I'll follow your orders, Leader!"

"Um," Brother took a surprised step backwards, color draining from his face. "Aha. As leader, I order Yuna to decide!"

Indignation swept through the Summoner. "Hey, that's cheating!" Rikku giggled as Paine and Buddy rolled their eyes. Yuna looked around at them helplessly. How was _she_ supposed to make that kind of decision? Just because she had refused to sacrifice her Guardians two years ago, and had instead searched for a way to completely destroy Sin forever, didn't mean she couldn't make mistakes! And big ones, at that.

Had they all forgotten how she had agreed to marry Seymour? What if she chose wrong now, and completely messed up?

Yuna looked at Paine and Rikku. "What do you guys think?"

Rikku hardly hesitated at all. "Well. New Yevon. It's got 'Yevon' in its name. Enough said." She crossed her arms emphatically. And now that Yuna thought about it, it was really no surprise that the Al Bhed would side with the Youth League. She resented and despised each and every little thing about the Teachings of Yevon. And not without reason.

But Paine immediately jumped to New Yevon's defense. "The Youth League is reckless," she harshly pointed out. "They're the ones picking the fights."

Yuna hesitated, and glanced at Brother, who was growing impatient.

"Well?" He waved her on. "Well?"

"Hold on a minute," Yuna looked down and concentrated. The Youth League…? It definitely seemed to be more popular with the rest of Yuna's friends. But popularity wasn't everything…

Yuna remembered the speech she had heard Meyvn Nooj, the leader of the Youth League, give to the Kilikans. His words… had upset her. _He_ had upset her. He had been arrogant and condescending. And Yuna had not sensed that she could trust him.

Not like she could trust Baralai, the Praetor of New Yevon. Yuna remembered how honest his eyes had been… and how polite, and courteous, and orderly he had seemed to her.

Her father had lived in Bevelle. He had seen _something_ in Yevon. But then… hadn't they all back then? Aside from the Al Bhed?

Yuna felt that Braska would have greatly considered New Yevon over the Youth League. Didn't that count for something?

Of course it did. Neither the Youth League, nor New Yevon, were parties of cruel manipulation and dishonesty. Their leaders weren't like the previous Maesters. They both truly wanted what was best for Spira – Yuna _did_ believe that. They just had different ways of going about things. And it was that division – and nothing more – that presented a problem.

So New Yevon, then?

Yuna suddenly remembered one certain incident from the day before. At the Kilika Temple. The Priest there… the Priest of New Yevon… And his cruelty.

He had been so deceptive. One moment surrounded by hostile Kilikans, pretending to be weak and terrified, until the next, when his machina had burst into the Temple's courtyard. When the Kilikans had seen the weapon, and had realized that they couldn't fight it, the Priest had shown a sadistic amount of pleasure – and had seemed to savor in their fear.

Had people in Spira truly not changed? Could Yuna even reasonably expect them to, in just two short years? And did she want to support an organization that had priests like _that_?

Not New Yevon, then…

Neither side was adequate. Maybe… Yuna just expected too much from mankind. Maybe, it was _impossible_ for the denizens of Spira to ever measure up to what she wished they could be. What kind of person did that make her?

"Yuna?" Paine asked quietly.

The Summoner glanced up at her, feeling completely torn. And for a moment, the two women just stared at each other, silently looking for answers in the other's eyes. But there were none to be found.

"I choose the Youth League," Yuna finally told them, in a soft, resigned voice, hoping to God that she wasn't making a mistake.

"Works for me!" Brother said happily, fully unaware of the conflict that now burned inside of Yuna's heart. He started towards his chair. "Let's go with it! Gullwings, move out!"

Buddy stepped to, but Rikku moved with more reluctance. She could now see, in Yuna's eyes, how quickly she had disregarded New Yevon. And she felt guilty for that. She was behaving hypocritically, and that shamed her. Yuna was… and she had always been… a more sensitive and more delicate judge than Rikku could ever hope to be.

The Celsius started towards Mushroom Rock Road, and did not pause until it reached the Youth League Headquarters.

**ooooooo**

As Brother led Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Buddy, and Shinra off the Celsius and towards the camp, the entire Youth League, or so it seemed, anxiously awaited them. People were smiling and laughing and talking in excitement as several musicians played their instruments – though in Rikku's mind, none of them came even _close_ to comparing well with the talents of _any_ of Tobli's inspiring players. Chocobos stood tall and dignified, wearing their armor plates while bearing the majestic Knights who now sat upon their backs looking just as regal – and entirely welcoming.

"Wow," Rikku whistled as Yuna hesitated with a frown. "They're pulling out all the stops!"

"I wonder why…" Yuna whispered, bringing Paine to roll her eyes.

"You're the High Summoner, remember?" But even Paine couldn't deny that _this_ reception was by far the most remarkable she had yet seen. It frustrated her.

And seemed to astound Buddy. "Who throws a welcome party for the people who ripped them off?"

Good question. It stumped Yuna, Paine, Rikku, and even Shinra.

But not Brother. He _glared_ at Buddy. "Tadyemc, tadyemc. Cruf cusa lmycc, syh!" Translation: Details, details. Show some class, man! He started forward, simply _basking_ in the attention that was directed towards Yuna.

Shinra started after him, deciding that this was a good time to promote their hunting team. "Gullwings, _go_!" he sang. "La-la-la-la-la! Gullwings, fight! La-la-la-laaaa!"

Yuna sighed, dejectedly. It amazed Paine that any one woman could have such a terrible amount of attention and devotion and not let it go to her head. And what was _more_, that attention actually _distressed_ Yuna more than anything else. It wasn't what she wanted. What she wanted was to be free from all of it. Free to live in excitement and adventure – but _also_ in obscurity. Unfortunately, it seemed that nothing Yuna did would ever give her that kind of chance.

The Gullwings started into the camp, heading towards the largest of the tents that were there. It was a large, bright red one, and definitely seemed predominant. And as they approached it, the Gullwing men were slowly, one by one, distracted from their course.

Brother found himself standing with a small band of Al Bhed, bragging about his command. Shinra was staring at a few pieces of machina equipment, shaking his head. When a few engineers gave him their attention, he completely started pointing out _several_ errors and miscalculations that were apparently quite obvious. And Buddy found himself making towards the captain, hoping to keep the poor guy out of trouble.

So when the commanding tent's flap opened, and Nooj himself stepped outside, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were the only Gullwings to notice.

For a few moments, the four of them stood motionlessly, silently taking each other in. Yuna and Rikku could barely breathe, so great and so terrible was this man's presence. The young Al Bhed remembered hearing him speak in Kilika. She had known then and there that this man was a man of power and control. But up close, he was that, and _so_ much more. And as for Yuna… this man almost reminded her of Auron… But not exactly. Auron had been, amazingly, kinder than this man now seemed.

Paine, however, while staring at the Meyvn, felt her blood heat up. Memories swept through her mind. Memories of betrayal… and, aptly, of great pain. With Gippal and Baralai, things had been different. Now, as she stood before Nooj, the sphere hunter felt angry and did not care to hide her face, or her knowledge of him. She held him in too much disregard to bother with that.

This was _not_ the Meyvn Nooj she had once known. This was _not_ the Meyvn Nooj who had been her friend. When he looked at her, she met his gaze, and narrowed her eyes.

Not that Nooj cared. He focused instead on Yuna.

"We'd like to give you the sphere that you were looking for," the Summoner explained, rather abruptly, Rikku thought – not that she blamed her cousin. Nooj seemed to be the kind of man who approved of straightforwardness. There was just too much for him to do to bother with great formalities.

"How generous," he nodded his head and took the sphere that Yuna now presented to him. By that time, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra were aware of the proceedings, as was the rest of the Youth League. Everyone was watching attentively. Yuna felt her instinct take control – she _seemed_ perfectly relaxed to each and every person in the camp. But beneath all that, her heart was pounding.

"And how sudden," Nooj continued. He tilted his head slightly, and grew both strict and, more importantly, official. "Maybe you should start by introducing yourself, High Summoner-"

"We're the Gullwings," Rikku quickly interjected, catching even Nooj off guard. Paine could hardly contain a smirk as the Meyvn glanced at the Al Bhed with a frown. He wasn't used to being interrupted, but even as he stared at her, Rikku felt her intimidation fade. She stared back at him, firmly. Yuna no longer wanted the label "High Summoner." She wanted a fresh start, and Rikku would see her given that even if it meant taking on a man like Nooj face to face. And Paine had to admit, her respect for the Al Bhed increased.

Nooj acknowledged Rikku's tenacity. "I see. Sphere hunters." He took a small step back, relaxing himself somewhat. "In that case, I gratefully accept the sphere you have brought. On behalf of the Youth League, I thank you."

Paine had never in her life wanted to curse a man more than she did at that moment. What had happened to him? He hadn't _used_ to be this way! Arrogant… and so calculating. But ever since that day two years ago… Why was that?

"Everyone!" Nooj said, raising his voice and addressing his followers, who were immediately all ears. "Three cheers for the Gullwings!"

So now he was humoring Rikku. Paine was disgusted as those three cheers rang out, and regretted not asking Yuna more forcibly to pick New Yevon over the Youth League. Baralai she could have handled. Nooj, however… he was being such an ass!

Presently, he gestured towards the tent. Walking towards it, he stood holding the flap open, all the while looking expectantly at Yuna. She accepted the invitation, and gracefully entered with Rikku and Paine behind her. Once inside, they turned and looked back at Nooj, who silently joined them, closing the flap as he came.

And now that they had some more privacy, he spoke more bluntly. "So did you watch it?"

The remark caught Rikku off guard. "Hmm?"

"The sphere," he said, growing slightly impatient. There was power in his voice, which seemed to alert Yuna. It was not a very comforting kind of power that she heard. She watched him carefully, silently drawing on her own power which she constantly kept in reserve – and had ever since her struggle against Seymour.

And as Rikku guiltily stammered out an incoherent response, Yuna felt the iron in her blood and will pour back out into her soul once more. She had faltered with indecision earlier. The shock of her revelation about the terrible mess in Spira had caused her to hesitate. She didn't want to be involved. She couldn't deny that. But if she must be, she needed to be strong again.

_"I won't let myself be used anymore," _she had assured Lulu. _"Not by anyone."_ Yuna couldn't go back on that now. She would hate herself. So she needed to stand straight before Nooj. And show him her resolve. There was just no reason for _her_ to be overwhelmed by his charisma.

"We did," she stated calmly, interrupting Rikku's floundering remarks. Nooj and Paine both glanced at the Summoner, slightly taken aback. But then Paine was satisfied with her friend's composure. Actually, she was _more_ than satisfied. She shot Nooj a triumphant glare. No matter what he thought, _he_ wasn't the one in charge of the Gullwings.

He sighed, looking at Yuna thoughtfully. "Forget."

None of the Gullwings had been expecting _that_ response, and they all looked at him in surprise. But Yuna wasn't in the mood to be told what to do.

She stared at him coldly, thinking about her one Guardian. "I'm afraid I cannot." She spoke with finality. Paine hardly recognized her being so intent. It was quite possible that Nooj had met his match. And the Meyvn knew it, too.

"Some advice," he said severely, taking a cold step towards her. Being a good foot taller than she was, he probably thought to intimidate her, but he could not. He wasn't evil. And Yuna had stared evil in the face. She wasn't afraid of him.

Rikku, however, was Yuna's Guardian, and his approach once again brought out the Al Bhed's own self-assurance. She firmly backed her cousin. Paine took her place beside them as well.

Nooj watched them, and felt his own respect for them begin to swell. Of course, he knew Paine. But she had come a long way since when he had last encountered her. And of course he knew of Yuna's reputation. But only now was he seeing for himself the power within her, allowing her to defeat something like Sin. And Rikku, too… He was learning that not even the seemingly superficial Al Bhed was purely trifle.

But none of that made him any less adverse. He savagely held the sphere out in front of them. "The… the _thing_… The _colossus_ that you saw," he spoke irately, bringing to their minds the image of a great and _terrible_ piece of machina – the one they had seen in that sphere and the one that had been in Yuna's dream. "It is known as Vegnagun."

Yuna did not look away from Nooj, but Paine and Rikku glanced at each other in concern. The machina recorded in that sphere had been hideous. Elegant… but frightening. Distorted and macabre. What did Nooj know of it?

"It possesses overwhelming destructive power," he told them cruelly. "It must not be touched. Yet those _Yevon fools_ think they can control it!"

Paine flinched. Was _this_ what the sphere hunting was about…? With Nooj and with Baralai? They were fighting over this tarantula-like, skull-like machina known as Vegnagun…?

"The Youth League will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not get a chance to try," Nooj said emphatically. He looked at each of the women in turn. "Trust me. You do not want to get involved."

So… Nooj had mistaken Yuna's interest and thought it to be directed towards the machina. He had no idea why she _really_ could not just "forget."

"Tell me," she said, looking to correct that assumption. "Who was the _man_ I saw in the sphere?"

Nooj tilted his head in obvious surprise, as Yuna predicted he might. And he stared at her. Really _stared_ at her. Taking more than just her face in. But her very essence as well. Yuna felt slightly cold as his gaze bore into her.

And for some reason… a very different face entered her mind. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw _his_ face. Or, rather, the face that she had seen from the sphere that _looked_ like his face. And his words flashed through her memory.

_"You know, you're all I can count on to save Lenne."_

Yuna stood fast, solidly meeting Nooj's gaze. But she didn't understand what it was about him that suddenly reminded her of the man in that sphere. It unnerved her.

"I cannot say," Nooj replied. And Yuna knew that it was a lie.

"I see."

Without warning, the tent flap behind Nooj suddenly opened, and Buddy came running in. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all stared at him in surprise as the Meyvn turned.

Buddy paid the man no attention, but looked directly at the girls. "Hey, we got a distress signal from the Celsius. Gullwings, we're leaving!"

Rikku grinned. "Sphere hunters first! Politicians later! Let's go!" She practically shoved Yuna past Nooj, grateful for an escape from this disturbing little conference. The man gracefully stepped back, allowing them to pass, and watched as they rushed outside. Then, he looked at Paine. For a moment, neither of them moved, and they stood silently regarding the other.

"Humph," Paine strode past the man and followed her companions. Right at that moment, she did not want to talk to him at all. Instead, she made her way back to the Celsius.

Nooj went to stand by the tent's flap, and stared out after the Gullwings, deep in thought.

Yuna had asked about a man. But that _particular_ man would not have been remembered by _anyone_ other than… Had he found her at last?

**ooooooo**


	19. A Summoner's Worthlessness

**ooooooo**

"Hey, what's going on?" Yuna asked as Buddy led her, Rikku, and Paine into the Celsius's cockpit, where Brother and Shinra were interrogating a flustered Barkeep.

The poor little Hypello turned miserably towards the Summoner. "Intruders. Anything mishing… Shtill inveshtagating…"

Shinra glanced at Yuna. "Apparently, Clasko and O'aka are still looking for any more hints or clues. But it's official. We've been burgled. The broken sphere from the Zanarkand Ruins is missing."

"Why _that_ sphere?" Rikku demanded indignantly. "It wasn't even a working sphere! They couldn't steal anything else?" She deflated. Well, that just took away all of the situation's excitement… Oh well.

"We don't know," Shinra said. "They _might_ have."

At that moment, Clasko joined the group in the cockpit. His face was slightly red in embarrassment. Couldn't he do _anything_ right? What had been so difficult about keeping watch over the airship while the Gullwings were away? A miserable, guilty feeling swept over him as he walked up towards Brother. Yuna noticed, and sympathized.

"Looks like the burglar left us a present," Buddy observed as Clasko wordlessly handed an unfamiliar sphere to the captain. Brother tossed the sphere to the other Al Bhed, who set it on the ground and turned it on.

Whoever it had been recording this sphere had decided to get an extreme close-up of Leblanc's face. Everyone watching had to take a step away from it as the woman laughed.

"Who's on top now, _Dullwings_?" she demanded haughtily. "It'll be a thousand years before you can take on the mighty Leblanc!" From off the image, they could all hear Logos and Ormi joining in on their boss's laughter. They all sounded like hyenas.

"She got us," Paine acknowledged as the screen went blank.

Yuna, hardly concerned, glanced at Rikku and couldn't help but smile. "Oh, poopie!"

Her cousin, feeling her indignation returning, turned towards the Summoner with an opened mouth. "Yuna! Don't talk like that!"

Yuna's smile widened. "I was just copying you!"

Paine rolled her eyes. "That's nice." The _last_ thing they needed was _two_ Rikku's.

The Al Bhed girl threw up her hands in exasperation. "This is hardly a situation for you to be copying me! This is serious!" For once she and Paine agreed on something.

Yuna frowned. "It is? It was just a broken sphere. Besides." She shrugged. "It isn't like we aren't going to get it back."

"Huh?" Rikku and Brother both looked at her in bafflement, and Yuna grinned again.

"No one messes with us!" She winked. "It really isn't that big a deal. They took it. We'll take it back. They'll be too embarrassed to bother us again. End of story."

It was Rikku's turn to grin. "They're on! And they're going down!"

"And what about Vegnagun?" Paine asked quietly.

"Vegnagun?" Shinra looked up in curiosity. Not even _he_ recognized that name. Which was very rare, considering his genius.

"Vegnagun…" Rikku shivered. "It's that skull-faced scorpion-looking machina in that sphere we stole from Kilika." Brother made a face.

"It's called Vegnagun?" Buddy asked, his body tense with fright. "Is that what you were talking about with Meyvn Nooj?"

"Sure is," Rikku nodded.

Yuna, during this entire exchange, had been looking at her feet. She felt so confused by all the emotions sweeping through her. All she wanted was to find her Guardian. She didn't want to involve herself too deeply with Vegnagun and the fight between New Yevon and the Youth League. Her days as a Summoner had passed… Hadn't they? She didn't want that role anymore.

_"Summoners and their Guardians are kind of like Spira's ray of light. A lot of people in Spira depend on us."_

_"But now more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence. Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow. But you… you are a Summoner. You are Spira's hope."_

Yuna didn't want that much responsibility anymore. She was able to bear it on her pilgrimage, because she had truly believed that that was what her fate was. But now… could one woman really bear the world on her back for her entire life?

Maybe she could… if _he_ was with her… but he wasn't.

She took a breath and interrupted Rikku. "We're forgetting who we are." Everyone looked at her, and she nodded firmly. "We're sphere hunters. The Gullwings."

Paine, much to her own surprise, felt herself torn by Yuna's words. It actually caused her to smirk in disbelief. _That_ was a first! She _wanted_ to learn more about Vegnagun, because a part of her _needed_ to understand what was going on presently with Nooj and Baralai. Now that she knew where her friends were, a part of her just wanted to make things right with them. Especially with Nooj…

She didn't know what the hell she was feeling. Ten minutes ago, she had _hated_ Nooj's very existence! And now she wanted to make things right with him? What on Spira?

And yet, another part of her couldn't let go of the past. She _needed_ to find more spheres because she _needed_ to understand what had happened at that cave two years ago. So she had to choose… Vegnagun… or sphere hunting? The present… or the past?

It was her turn to feel like a hypocrite.

Rikku, however, was ecstatic. "That's right!" She jumped forward and held up her hand, palm out. Yuna did the same, and they glanced at Paine, who sighed. She made her choice. Joining Rikku and Yuna, the three of them hit high fives.

"Yeah!" Brother was practically hopping up and down in his excitement. "We steal back what is stolen! It is the law of the sphere hunter! Now we go to Chateau Leblanc! We attack in the name of honor!"

Shinra's stance expressed his reservations. "… get our hineys kicked in the name of honor." He mocked Brother, but his point was clear. There was no way the Gullwings would be able to invade Leblanc's formidable estate and attack the entire Syndicate on their own turf.

Yuna shrugged. "Maybe we can sneak in… in disguise?"

Brother's face lit up in approval. "That's it! Yuna, you are brilliant!"

Rikku maliciously rubbed her hands together. "So, we have to fly around till we find Leblanc's gang, and-"

"Beat them up and steal their uniforms," Paine nodded. "But only three of them."

"Where do we begin?" Buddy asked, walking towards his navigating chair as Brother and Rikku took up their stations as well.

"In the south," Brother ordered. "We fly over Besaid, and progress to Gagazet!"

No one disagreed, so they took off from Mushroom Rock Road and turned the Celsius around. It did not take long at all to reach the island that Yuna called home, and as it appeared on the horizon, the woman found herself hoping that _someone_ from the Syndicate would be there. She wouldn't mind an excuse to visit her home again.

The Celsius flew over the beach, and as Yuna stood by the windshield gazing down on her island, she could see Wakka's Blitzball Team. The Besaid Aurochs. But the thing was… they weren't practicing for Blitzball. Yuna frowned, as she watched them, seemingly training on the sand as if for battle.

What?

"What are they doing?" Rikku asked the question Yuna had been wondering herself.

"Learning to fight, it seems," Paine stated as she walked next to the Summoner. "I wonder why."

"We should stop," Yuna said quietly. She looked at Brother. "I know we have to deal with the Syndicate, but these people are like family to me." _What was going on?_

Of course Brother immediately agreed with her, and he brought the airship down over the water. Yuna quickly left the cockpit, with Rikku and Paine on her heels.

Jumping off the ship, the three of them splashed into the water. It was cold and almost up to their wastes – but that didn't bother them. The coldness was actually quite refreshing, and they waded easily enough to shore.

It would have been impossible for the Aurochs to miss the Celsius's arrival, and by the time Yuna splashed onto land, they were all eagerly awaiting her and Rikku. They were grinning and talking in excitement, and they welcomed the Summoner with open arms.

"It's good to see you all again," Yuna told them as they each took turns embracing her. "It feels like forever, doesn't it?"

"I know," one Auroch said, his name Datto. The smile he wore suddenly faded, and he looked at Yuna seriously. "Have you found him."

Yuna glanced down. "Not yet."

"Oh, don't worry," another Auroch said, _his_ name being Jassu. He encouragingly placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be back, ya! And then he'll play Blitzball again!"

"Or," Rikku cheerfully interrupted. "He'll join in on whatever fun it is we saw y'all having before we got here!"

The Aurochs tentatively glanced at the Al Bhed girl. And then they tried to change the subject.

Datto turned his head back towards Yuna. "We heard you gave the sphere you stole back to the Youth League, ya?"

Yuna stared at him in surprise. "I didn't know news traveled that fast."

"Yeah it does," Paine stated stiffly. Yuna hardly glanced at her, for Jassu was speaking again.

"We knew you were on our side!"

Yuna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Datto shrugged, a little self-conscious at first, but then he smiled again, allowing his pride to show at last. "The Besaid Aurochs have all joined the Youth League." The Gullwings stared at them in surprise, as they nodded agreeably.

"Ya," Jassu said, but then shrugged. "Officially at least. And, uh, Wakka hasn't joined yet."

Yuna didn't know why, but a wave of relief swept through her by _that_ thought.

"Can't blame him, ya?" Datto admitted. "His kid's popping out any minute, you know." Yuna's heart grew lighter just _thinking_ about such a miracle. "Now's not the time for him to be fussing around with politics."

"_Fussing_, you say?"

"Huh?" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine watched in confusion as the Aurochs all turned in surprise – when they saw who it was behind them, they quickly formed into a straight and solid line that was a _little_ bit too military for Yuna's taste. Tension had quickly wrapped around them, and it proved to be a very thick, uncomfortable sort.

The man who had spoken had stealthily arrived in a blue and red uniform with white pants. He had brown hair and pale eyes – which could barely be seen due to the silver helmet he wore like a mask over his upper face. He looked young enough – but also incredibly strong and experienced in the field of battle. Yuna wasn't sure she liked that impression.

He seemed to have the respect of the Aurochs – and definitely their fear and attention. But on the other hand… _he_ seemed to hold _them_ in the utmost contempt. Right now, however, he was focused on Yuna.

"I am Beclem," he told her in a cold, hard voice. Paine frowned – it wasn't often you'd find someone who would speak to Yuna in that tone. Glancing at Rikku, the sphere hunter could see the girl's mouth hanging open in distaste.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here to welcome you to Besaid," Yuna told him – trying _very_ hard to be polite when he was just rubbing her the wrong way.

He scoffed at her. "Please. I was dispatched to Besaid by Youth League Headquarters to pound some fight into these pathetic slackers." He gestured harshly at the Aurochs. "I've no desire for any kind of formality."

"Oh," Rikku slumped over to stand between Datto and Jassu – she was small enough to squeeze comfortably between them so that she was standing in line as well. She elbowed Jassu mischievously. "So that explains the missing Blitzball."

"Ya," Jassu couldn't help but whisper back – with Rikku, any one of the Aurochs would have surrendered to that nagging urge they always had to talk. "But he's a hundred times stricter than Wakka!"

Beclem turned towards Jassu harshly. "You must be awfully confident in your strength if you're skipping out on your training just to flap your lips like that!"

Jassu and Rikku both looked at him like guilty children caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

Yuna stepped forward – never one to allow her friends to get in trouble on her account. "Forgive me, sir. I'm the reason they weren't training. I guess I distracted them a little bit. It's my fault."

"Well, you're right about that," Beclem said, looking back at her in contempt. "You'd almost think everything revolved around the great High Summoner. But that was two years ago." Beclem glared at the Aurochs. "Just because _she's_ here does not mean you have an excuse to neglect your exercises."

"Okay," Rikku took a step towards him, but looked at her cousin. "He's creeping me out." Beclem glowered at her furiously, but the Al Bhed wasn't under his command, and even if she had been, she _certainly_ wouldn't have cared. Rikku didn't take crap from anyone. She looked back at the man, but continued to address the Summoner. "Can't believe I'm about to say this, considering I'm Al Bhed and all, but maybe we _should_ have joined New Yevon. At least _they_ know what _respect_ is."

"Even if Yuna _wasn't_ a High Summoner," Paine added, taking a step towards Beclem and feeling every bit as indignant as Rikku did. "She would _still_ have been welcomed here by the Aurochs in such a way simply because this is her _home_. What happened two years has nothing to do with that."

Beclem looked at her and, amazingly, seemed to consider her words. He nodded. "All right." He turned back to the Aurochs. "Well, you've greeted your friends. Now get back to your exercises."

The Aurochs all hastened to obey, except for Datto. He turned one last time towards Yuna with an apologetic smile. "Welcome home, Lady Yuna." He started to perform the Prayer before her.

"Stop that at once!" Beclem shot towards him furiously. Datto scrambled backwards in alarm as Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all jumped in surprise. Beclem was livid. His hands were in fists and his arms were practically shaking. "The age of Temples and Prayer is over!"

Datto stared at him in shock as the rest of his team watched from a distance. Yuna felt all her color drain from her face as Beclem struggled to control himself. But even after he did, he still spoke severely. "It's about time you let go of those musty old traditions. There's no need to bow down to Summoners, either." Datto looked ready to object, but Beclem didn't give him the chance. "Yes! Summoners are a thing of the past!"

Yuna's heart was beating painfully in her throat.

_"Summoners and their Guardians are kind of like Spira's ray of light. A lot of people in Spira depend on us."_

She hadn't wanted that…

_"But now more than ever, you must be the people's strength, their confidence. Anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow. But you… you are a Summoner. You are Spira's hope." _

There was too much responsibility required…

"Hey!" Rikku was livid. She charged towards Beclem, but Paine reached out and held her back. Even still, the Al Bhed was growing red in the face. "Hold it right there! Whose Calm do you think this is, buster?"

"There are no more Aeons to Summon," Beclem harshly pointed out. "Summoners are worthless now."

The island no longer seemed tropical. To Yuna, the air around her was as dry and cold as it was at the frozen Temple where she had prayed for Shiva. But Shiva was gone. And so was Valefor… and every other Aeon Yuna had once Summoned. Beclem was right about that.

And yet… too often, it didn't feel like they were really gone. Every now and then, she felt them within her. They had been her allies. They had been her friends. She had destroyed them, and in doing so, she had broken a piece of her heart.

It was true, there were no more Aeons for her to Summon. It was true, she didn't want to bear the weight of responsibility she had two years ago. But it was also true that she was still a Summoner. She had always been a Summoner. And she always would be.

That would never change. It took someone like Beclem to come around for her to realize that.

And it wasn't just her. Beclem's words disrespected Dona. And Isaaru. And Belgemine. And every other Summoner to have journeyed across Spira.

_My father._

He disrespected Braska.

Yuna's body began to tremble with her anger.

If Braska had lived, he would never have tried shaking off his title. He would have worn it… and worn it proudly. Yuna just could _not_ stop being the woman that she was. She was starting to understand that.

"You will take those words back."

Beclem turned away from the _furious_ Al Bhed and glanced at Yuna. He could hear the anger in her deep, low voice that was perfectly calm and steady… but _also_ incensed. Paine and Rikku both looked at Yuna as well, slightly apprehensive. For not even with Nooj had Yuna spoken with such outraged, and such cold, authority.

Beclem sensed that, and he nodded. "I will. _If_ you succeed in proving your worth to me."

"You're on, Beclem," Yuna said softly. She had faced those Aeons he was disregarding. She had faced Yunalesca. She had fought Sin. She had lost… she had lost the one person who meant the world to her. What did _he_ know about a Summoner's worthlessness? What did he know about Summoners at all?

Her days as a Summoner had passed. Those were her own thoughts, weren't they? She couldn't deny it. Just that morning, she had not wanted that role any longer. But now… hearing Beclem's words… she knew she had been wrong. And she was glad she had been wrong.

"Fine," Beclem spat. "I have set up something of an obstacle course that runs over this island. It is called the Gunner's Gauntlet. If you can defeat enough of the fiends gathered along that path, and if you can make it through the Gauntlet faster than I have, you will have broken my record. Can you do that?"

"Yunie can do anything, you _bum_!" Rikku practically yelled at him. Beclem ignored her, staring instead into Yuna's eyes. She did not back down, and it was _her_ steady gaze that brought _him_ to look away. If only for a second.

"I can do that," she said, smoothly drawing both of her handguns.

"We'll see," Beclem said haughtily. He stepped towards Yuna and held out a tiny piece of machina for her to take. "This will record your time and the number of fiends you slay. And considering the way you prattled on earlier, you had _best_ beat my record." He turned towards Datto. "Show her to the Gauntlet's entrance." He focused on Yuna one last time. "We'll be waiting for your return."

"I won't be long," she promised.

**ooooooo**

As Datto led Yuna to the top of the Gauntlet, which ran down the side of the island from its highest point to the sea where the others were waiting, he explained to her exactly how she was to find her way and how she was to kill the fiends. As it was the Gunner's Gauntlet, she would be automatically disqualified if she changed into another dressphere. She had to rely on her guns… and her guns alone.

"Please be careful, Yuna," the Auroch urged her desperately. "The Gauntlet is dangerous, and the fiends will try to kill you."

"I'll be fine," the Summoner quietly assured him. Looking at Datto, she smiled, but with no joy on her face. It was quite a miserable thing… having to prove something that mattered to you through a trivial competition. It just felt… immature, somehow. Childish.

Why were the grown adults in Spira behaving like children?

She couldn't answer that. All she knew for certain was that she _was_ going to beat Beclem at his own game, one way or another.

Standing at the top of the Gauntlet and looking down, Yuna felt ready. Her body was as relaxed, and her heart was beating as normally, as she could possibly hope for, and there was nothing left for her to do but begin. Holding her handguns ready, she set the machina that Beclem had given her, and started down the path. Meanwhile, Datto would go along a different trail that was both shorter and safer in order to meet her at the bottom with the others.

The trail that Yuna followed began to curve through the jungle. She had hardly even begun when two large coyote looking fiends rushed towards her with their yellow teeth bared. They had thick red coats and blazing scarlet eyes that bore no sign of a soul anywhere.

Yuna fired a single round from each gun at either monster. She had aimed true, and both creatures burst into golden, greenish streams of light. She continued past them without even blinking, changing cartridges as she went.

Several other fiends raced towards her through the trees, but she slew each of them with the same ease she had felt against the first two. The monsters varied. Some resembled the two coyotes, while others looked like winged eyeballs and others still like giant lizards.

Yuna wielded her gun as an expert markswoman. The jungle itself proved to be more of a hindrance to her than the fiends did. She was forced to run downhill, while avoiding protruding roots and low branches and vines. The ground grew sleek, and Yuna twice almost slipped to land on her face. But she never did.

A fiend suddenly flew at her from the sky. Yuna stumbled and found herself holding onto a tree trunk to remain upright. One of her guns had landed on the ground several feet away, and when Yuna glanced over her shoulder, she saw a great pelican fiend flapping its wings heavily as it turned back towards her with bloodshot eyes.

It came at her with surprising speed. Yuna had to duck out of the way to avoid its angry beak – she felt a brush of air as it flew just inches away from her face. Running to where the gun had fallen, she delicately picked it up and spun back towards the fiend. It was coming towards her again, but she gracefully held up her hand and fired. The force of the shot caused her body to jolt, as always, but the kick was never more than she could handle. She watched only long enough to see the fiend erupt into light, and then she continued on her way.

_"Filled with grief over their own death, they refuse to face their fate. They yearn to live on, and resent those still alive. You see, they envy the living. And in time, that envy turns to anger, even hate. Should these souls remain in Spira, they become fiends that prey on the living. Sad, isn't it?"_

It had once been Yuna's task to Send the dead spirits before they could become fiends.

_Who would perform the Sending now, if there were no more Summoners?_

Several more fiends raced towards Yuna, and she paused on her trek only long enough to shoot them until they burst into light.

_What was to stop the spirits of our loved ones – the spirits of those we are close to – if we no longer Send them?_

She savagely reloaded and continued towards the beach.

_People die every day, and many become fiends. They find no peace. They kill the innocent._

Tears stung in her eyes as two years of turmoil and grief that she had kept suppressed within her began flowing to the surface of her heart. There was so much she wanted to deny. To herself… and also to those that she cared about.

Was she shirking away from responsibility that she had never truly escaped? Had she shamed herself, and the memory of her father, by pretending she was no longer a Summoner? Was she wrong, because Beclem was wrong?

She made her way out of the thicker region of the jungle, and continued down the path beside the river. She came to a bridge beside a waterfall, and as she crossed it, yet another fiend appeared.

But this one was different from the others.

Yuna immediately stopped short, gasping as it came at her. The monster was huge. It was a large, serpentine creature that crawled upon four legs with feet that seemed to be nothing _but_ claws. Its long neck stretched towards her as it opened a hideous fanged mouth _dripping_ with venom.

Yuna fired savagely at it, backing away as she did. But her bullets seemed only to bounce off its scaly, armored hide, barely even fazing it.

The monster jumped at her, and Yuna instinctively dove into a forward roll, somersaulting underneath it. The ground felt hard and heavy as the world seemed to spin beneath it, and it took the Summoner a moment to catch her breath. Once she had, she sat up and looked over her shoulder. The fiend was already turning around, ready to try again.

Yuna fired at it, regaining her feet. Adrenaline swept through her as the bullets, if only for a few seconds, kept the monster at bay. She closed her eyes.

_Where are my Guardians now?_

_Look how far I've come. Standing on my own two legs for once, without my Guardians to protect me._

_Have our days really ended?_

_I can't accept that._

Yuna's eyes opened in time to see the fiend leaping towards her. It unhinged its jaws, baring its fangs, ready to kill.

She whistled.

And fired again.

The bullets flew into the fiend's mouth.

And straight into its brain.

It burst into ribbons of gold, shot through with green orbs that sparkled towards the sky.

Yuna paused to catch her breath, and reloaded.

_Summoners will never be worthless._

She turned and once again continued towards the beach.

**ooooooo**

The Besaid Aurochs were standing nervously and talking unhappily amongst themselves a short distance away from Rikku and Paine, who were both waiting by the Gauntlet's finish line, every once in awhile flashing Beclem resentful glares. The man had not spoken a word since Yuna and Datto had left, and even now remained completely still as he waited for the Summoner's return. Datto had appeared himself some time ago, perfectly all right, but there was no telling if Yuna would have the same fortune.

In the end, however, it seemed she would, as she came walking from the jungle back onto the beach.

"Ha!" Rikku proclaimed when she saw the Summoner approaching. She gave Beclem a haughty smirk. "Take that!" She and Paine then rushed towards Yuna, as did the Aurochs – who were more relieved by Yuna's safety than by her triumph.

Beclem stood still a moment longer, staring at Yuna coldly. And then he went to join her and her friends. Looking at her face, he could see that she was still every bit as upset – if not even _more_ so – than she had been fifteen minutes ago. She was staring back at him with equal disdain, and practically shoved the machina he had given her back into his hands.

He stared down at it, taking in her results. To his amazement, she _had_, in fact, beaten his record. He scoffed at the device before glaring up at the Summoner. "Hm. Skill you may have, but I find it hard to believe you defeated Sin. You obviously had some help."

Rikku and Paine both turned away from Yuna and back towards Beclem so sharply that, for a moment, the Summoner feared they _both_ would attack the guy. Neither of them did, but Paine silently decided that, this time, if Rikku _did_ choose to, _she_ certainly wouldn't stop the Al Bhed.

"I did," Yuna told him, speaking for the first time. Beclem stared at her even as the Aurochs and the two other Gullwings listened solemnly. This was important to Yuna. It was not the first time she had had such a discussion.

Silently she remembered words she had spoken two years ago. _"I only have as many Guardians as there are people I can trust… To have so many Guardians is a joy, and an honor!"_

"From my friends," she told Beclem. "My pilgrimage was successful because my friends and the Aeons supported me along the way. And they still do." She closed her eyes, and thought back to her whistle. "Memories of the time we spent together make me strong." She paused for a moment, and then glared at Beclem with renewed vitality and righteous anger. "I won't stand here and let you call that strength useless!"

Beclem scowled. "_Must_ your kind always prattle on about your precious _memories_?" Something in his eyes suddenly seemed to glisten, and Yuna, having noticed, frowned. Were those… tears?

Beclem angrily turned away without another word and stormed from the beach towards the village. Yuna watched him go, suddenly feeling uncertain about him.

Rikku and Paine, however, didn't share her sentiment.

"He's got some nerve!" the Al Bhed criticized.

"Sore loser," the sphere hunter agreed.

Yuna, however, wasn't sure.

Datto timidly approached the three women. "Lady Yuna… you're welcome to stay in Besaid…"

"Thank you," she said, looking down at the sand beneath her feet. "But we can't stop our search. We need to get going again."

Datto nodded, but unhappily. "We understand."

Yuna turned towards the Celsius, and hesitated for one moment. She needed to reaffirm her beliefs. But she just wasn't sure what it was she wanted to believe in any more.

_Am I sphere hunter… or a Summoner…? Is it possible to be both? I just don't know anymore._

"Let's go, Yunie," Rikku suggested, slinging her arm around her cousin's shoulder. The two started off towards the airship, and Paine walked beside them.

_I'll live for my friends,_ Yuna decided quietly. _For my friends. And for my search. If I can just _find_ him, then I _know_ I'll be able to understand what it means to be the woman I'm supposed to be! That's all I need to do._

Find him.

Why was that so hard?

**ooooooo**


	20. The Interview

**ooooooo**

The search for members of the Syndicate continued. With Yuna still recovering from their meeting with Beclem, the Gullwings hoped to travel quickly – and Rikku buoyantly – across Spira, to distract her and lighten her heart once more. Not that it was going to be easy. Beclem had greatly upset Yuna, as very few people were able to, and even though she made an outward appearance of having recovered from it, Rikku – and even Paine! – could tell that a heavy weight was bearing down on her. The man's words had injured her and – what was worse! – confused her.

Wondering what it _truly_ meant to be a former Summoner looking towards the future instead of wallowing in the past, Yuna stood by the Celsius's windshield, watching the land beneath the airship as it approached Kilika.

At one moment during their flight, Rikku and Paine found themselves standing together, watching her. They were both concerned, and could not, by themselves, figure out what on Spira they might do to help improve her condition.

"She needs to have some fun," Rikku told the sphere hunter. "Whenever she got all serious like that two years ago, she started holding things inside her, making decisions without consulting anyone, and just finding a whole _Temple_ load of trouble as she tried fixing absolutely _every_thing that was wrong in the world."

Paine nodded. She could picture Yuna like that. "She needs to reorganize her thoughts."

"Revamp her goals," Rikku nodded. "But it needs to happen quickly, or she'll just end up thinking too much. And _that_ won't solve anything."

"She can't be expecting it, either," Paine observed. "Or she'll put too much thought into it before getting to it."

"So where does that leave us?" Rikku asked glumly, feeling _completely _perplexed.

Paine thought for a second, then glanced at the Al Bhed. "I'll come up with something."

Rikku turned towards her in surprise. "You will?" The sphere hunter nodded, which brought a smile to the girl's lips. "Yfacusa." Awesome.

Not long after that conversation, the Celsius arrived at Kilika. Brother brought the airship down, and Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all piled off to take a quick sweep of the area – searching for signs of any members of the Leblanc Syndicate.

They probably should have just flown over the island. Not only was there absolutely _no_ trace of _any_ of their rivals, but there was also a great number of New Yevonites who continuously shot the three Gullwings unhappy looks for one obvious reason. They felt betrayed. And it only reminded Yuna of the turmoil throughout the land. It _hardly _distracted her from _any_ of her uncertainties, and seemed to make her all the more depressed.

Rikku crossed her arms indignantly. "They don't have any right…" she grumbled, shooting a few of them her _own_ looks of disgust.

"It could be worse," Paine quietly observed. "New Yevon, at _least_, has _some_ tact by keeping quiet. They aren't going to come looking for a confrontation. If we had shown _them_ our support instead, the members of the Youth League would probably be showing us a _whole_ lot more hostility right now."

"Which, sadly, would make the Youth League seem more adolescent than New Yevon," Rikku sighed.

"Well," Paine shrugged. "In a way, it is." Even though New Yevon was titled "new," its leaders _had_ been diplomats long before the leaders of the Youth League.

Yuna silently listened to this conversation as the three of them made their way back towards the Celsius. And as they did so, they found themselves once again walking past a certain round little hut.

The flap that served as a door to that hut opened and Dona rushed outside, looking terribly hassled. She stopped short in surprise when she saw Yuna. "Oh."

"Hello Dona," Yuna forced a smile, and Dona forced herself to slow down a moment and acknowledge that greeting. She glanced from Yuna to Rikku to Paine.

"The Gullwings, was it not?" she asked. Yuna nodded and the Summoner shook her head in wonder. "Sphere hunters that give back spheres. Don't you think that's a little odd?"

Memories of what was actually _in_ that sphere shot through Yuna's mind, but she pushed them away, focusing instead on the absurdity of the whole situation. It _was_ kind of funny – in an ironic way. She smiled again, and shrugged.

"Hmm," Dona mimicked that gesture. "Of course, we're glad you're on the Youth League's side, but still…" At least it seemed strange to one other person as well…

Someone suddenly pushed past the group and, without speech or even pause, continued running down the Kilika boardwalk. Yuna, Rikku, Paine, and Dona all watched him go, and the Kilikan Summoner felt her anxiety return.

She looked wearily at Yuna. "We're having a little spat with New Yevon. _Just_ what I needed. No rest for the weary, dear." She sighed. "You may want to keep your distance from the island for a little while." With that said, Dona started after the sprinting young man.

And so Yuna followed Rikku and Paine back towards the Celsius. As they went, she thought about Dona. That woman, a Summoner herself, had been in the same situation Yuna was in now, but she had already found her way.

Why was it so hard for Yuna to do the same?

She asked herself that question as she climbed aboard the Celsius. And she continued to as the airship left the island. And she continued to even as they arrived in Luca.

Considering the size of the city, and the number of tourists drifting through its streets, the Gullwings decided to divide and conquer. Paine took off in one direction, _perhaps_ a little bit more purposefully than she normally did, if that were even possible, and Rikku and Yuna went in another – the Al Bhed Guardian wasn't quite ready to let a depressed Summoner walk around Luca by herself.

They searched in vain for several hours, for there was no sign of the Leblanc Syndicate. Yuna sighed. "I think they're up to something."

"Yeah they are," Rikku agreed sourly. "They probably know we're after them, and are _trying_ to make things difficult. You know? Deliberately!" Yuna actually smiled again, which encouraged the Al Bhed. She continued on like that, making snappy comments in order to cheer Yuna up. It seemed to be working.

After awhile, they met up with Paine. And when they asked her if she had had any luck, the sphere hunter glanced specifically at Rikku and nodded. "Come with me."

"Yfacusa!" Rikku cheered, and the three of them made their way through the city streets of Luca, towards a great courtyard where, much to Yuna and Rikku's surprise, it seemed a bunch of cameramen were setting up their equipment while a few others were putting together some kind of backdrop. They were almost done, and seemed to have the captivated attention of _dozens_ of people, aside from the Gullwings themselves.

"What's going on?" Yuna asked curiously, and reasonably distracted. Rikku noticed and glanced at Paine, shooting her a grateful wink.

"Just a broadcast," the sphere hunter explained to the Summoner. "For the news."

News broadcasts in Spira… It was yet another new and popular advancement put together by the Machine Faction some time ago. Yet another change… but one that Yuna actually felt encouraged by. It was one of the good changes. One of the few that promised progression in a world recently freed of its bondage to Sin.

Yuna watched eagerly. And contentedly.

But then she saw someone walking onto the set, and her mouth opened in surprise. "Is that Shelinda?" Rikku glanced towards the woman quickly, and nodded her head in amazement.

"Yeah," she sounded completely stunned. "I think it is."

Shelinda, who had once been a humble acolyte of Yevon, now stood tall alongside the broadcasting crew. As always, she had pale, freckled skin and long red hair that was styled and parted rather plainly. She still had a squared figure, and yet… there seemed to be so much life blossoming around her. She seemed to be the same woman that Yuna remembered… and yet… she had grown up so much in such a short amount of time.

It was refreshing, Yuna reflected, to see – in a world that apparently wasn't as eternally calm as she had hoped it would be, what with New Yevon and the Youth League – even the _smallest glimmer_ of such growth here in Luca.

But then, Luca had always been something of a haven from Spira's woes. When there had been Sin, Luca had offered Blitzball. And now, with all the political trials, Luca threw concerts and broadcasted live news. It was the same old city – always displaying the known world's best attributes despite any terrible factors.

Luca was a city of hope.

Presently, Shelinda walked over to her place in front of the camera and took a seat on the proffered stool. There were a few others nearby, but no one claimed them as the cameras started rolling. A man from off stage made a sweeping gesture to Shelinda, and she immediately flashed a bright and energetic smile that proved to be surprisingly tantalizing.

"Hello, and good afternoon, Luca!" Shelinda spoke in a clear, composed voice that did not, in any way, resemble the quiet, shy tone she had had the first day she and Yuna had grown acquainted. She was bolder now, and entirely sure of herself. "This is Shelinda, bringing you all the latest news from throughout Spira!"

Yuna found herself listening in complete captivation. She had never even _seen_ a broadcast before, much less witnessed one in the making! There was something exciting about watching this, and she held on to each moment, as if afraid they might slip away too quickly or suddenly.

"These days," Shelinda continued, "everyone's talking about the groups battling throughout Spira for control of the spheres."

_Right,_ Paine crossed her arms. _Because the two leaders are both so busy looking for clues concerning Vegnagun. _

But Shelinda probably didn't know about that. "Let's start with the Youth League. From its leader, Meyvn Nooj, on down, their ranks are made up mostly of former Crusaders. Fresh off the attack on Kilika Temple, the Youth League is sending shockwaves throughout Spira. Pairing off against them is none other than New Yevon. All eyes were on them after the New Yevon chairman's sudden resignation. Chaos seemed inevitable. But their newly appointed leader, Praetor Baralai, has held them together with utmost finesse."

_Finesse_, Yuna thought. _That_ was the _perfect_ way to describe New Yevon – or at least it was when compared to the much rougher, rugged Youth League. Should she have supported them instead? She thought about her earlier decision. Had it been the wrong one? The uncertainty tore at her… And she wondered how she would deal with it, should it prove to have been a mistake after all.

Shelinda had never stopped speaking. "Another group turning a lot of heads is the Machine Faction, an Al Bhed organization. They've managed to distance themselves from the sphere struggle embroiling Spira."

_That's right,_ Paine and Rikku were both thinking at the same time without ever realizing it. _Leave it to Gippal to remain forever neutral in such matters. That was exactly like him._

"But," Shelinda continued. "Their unmatched technological prowess could well be enough to dramatically shift the balance of power."

_Don't count on it,_ Paine thought to herself.

"And let's not forget the Leblanc Syndicate," Shelinda added. "The gang with a style all its own. Headquartered at Chateau Leblanc in Guadosalam, its agents span the globe."

_But we're going to find them,_ Yuna thought determinedly.

And yet even _still _Shelinda was not finished. "But lately there's one group in particular that's been drawing all kinds of attention." The woman grew suddenly excited. "That's right! The only group led by a High Summoner! The Gullwings!"

"Huh?" Yuna started in shock, even as Rikku slapped her forehead. Brother's pride was going to take a major dive that afternoon. Paine merely smirked.

"And now," Shelinda said, drawing her words out with suspenseful care. "Here's today's special guest! High Summoner Yuna!"

Rikku perked right up even as Yuna backed away in horror. Something must have been read wrong. _She_ couldn't possibly get in front of a camera! No one had planned this with her? It had to be a joke!

"Huh?" Yuna turned towards Rikku and Paine, _very_ suspiciously. Rikku looked more incredulous than innocent – which probably meant she _was_ innocent. Paine, however, turned towards her openly.

"Break a leg." The smirk on her face was enough to assure Yuna that this was, indeed, planned out after all.

"Ooh," Yuna stared at the sphere hunter in distaste. But her sense of adventure was already beginning to sweep across her heart and soul, so she wasn't going to try resisting. Better to play Paine's game and get it over with. She turned on her heel and walked over towards Shelinda, who happily gestured to one of the empty stools beside her. Yuna took a seat, and Shelinda began immediately.

"Lady Yuna, your first concert was nothing short of spectacular!" the woman said exuberantly with a welcoming smile.

And suddenly Yuna wasn't as confident as she had been a moment ago. Completely caught off guard, wondering how to respond to a little compliment like that, and growing all more self-conscious by the minute, Yuna glanced uncertainly at the camera. "Well… it was sort of me up there… but not exactly." Somehow, she managed to sound a lot more composed than she actually felt.

Shelinda raised an eyebrow. "Puzzling words to be sure. And _speaking_ of puzzling, why the sudden career change to sphere hunting? It sounds like you caused quite a stir with that disappearing act you pulled on Besaid."

Yuna felt her cheeks flush. Off camera, Rikku was amazed by how flattering the additional color was to the Summoner's face. Somehow, it suited her very well.

"And I'm very sorry about that," she said quickly.

Shelinda changed the subject before Yuna could even address the original question. "Rumor has it you left the island looking for clues about a certain young man. Anything you can share with us?"

Yuna looked at Shelinda sharply. Of course, she could see in the reporter's eyes that Shelinda knew _exactly_ who it was Yuna was looking for. She had met the Guardian for herself, after all, two years ago, and had spoken with him directly more than once. It did not surprise Yuna that Shelinda was aware of his disappearance… and curious about it as well.

"That's right," the Summoner quietly confirmed, trying not to choke on her words.

"So," Shelinda sounded like she was more interested in gossip than in actual news. "Tell us about him."

Yuna glanced down. "It's a long story." And _not_ one that she wanted to relate while being broadcasted over Luca.

Rikku shook her head, knowingly. The evasion would spark curiosity throughout Spira. People who hadn't known, or hadn't even _heard_ of that "certain young man" would want to change that. The mystery that Yuna had inadvertently just created around herself would most certainly incite interest and possibly animate many of her devoted fans once again. Which would promote Shelinda, benefiting her as much as anyone else, and she knew it, too.

Smiling, pleased with the answer, she chose not to push it. "I'm sure it is! One can only imagine the fascinating tales that led to you becoming the leader of the Gullwings."

"Hold it right there!"

"Huh?" Yuna, Shelinda, and the cameramen all looked around to see where the interruption had come from. Paine's mouth curled in amusement even as Rikku grew rigid with downright horror.

Turning around, she nearly passed out when she saw Brother storming towards Yuna and Shelinda with a wild look on his face. Buddy was walking directly behind him, looking horrified as he tried, completely in vain, to hold his friend back. But Brother wouldn't be stopped.

He glowered at Shelinda. "_I'm_ the leader! Me! Gullwings! We rock you!"

The reporter's mouth nearly fell open as Yuna stared at Brother in stunned humor.

"Brother," Buddy glanced nervously from the cameras to the angry captain. "Do you remember our earlier conversation about bad notoriety?"

"Okay…" Shelinda uneasily decided to try winging it with the Al Bhed. "Tell us… is it true that the Gullwings have thrown their support behind the Youth League?" She glanced at Yuna, who grew tense.

Rikku and Paine both hesitated, and turned towards the Summoner anxiously. This was the one thing Paine had feared when setting this whole gig up. There could be no distractions now. Yuna would either have to continue bearing the weight of conflicting emotions… or find a way to overcome them. She did not look ready to make such a choice.

But Brother beat her to it. "That statement is… kind of true. But not really. No!"

Shelinda frowned as Yuna looked up at her cousin gratefully.

"Uh," Buddy stepped in, despite his timidity. "We don't wanna get caught up in other people's problems."

Yuna tilted her head at that as she considered those words. They weren't necessarily true. But in general, she realized, she _didn't_ want to get caught up in any of the major political problems after all. She was a Gullwing. And she wasn't even the leader of the Gullwings, at that! Brother was.

_Remember that,_ Yuna decided. _You're a Gullwing now. Not part of the Youth League. Not part of New Yevon. You're part of your _own_ faction. Your loyalties lie with Brother, with Spira, and with yourself. And that's it._

A smile crossed her lips, and Rikku and Paine both noticed it. They looked at each other triumphantly. Mission successful.

Meanwhile, Shelinda was quickly debating whether or not this interview was worth continuing, now that Brother had impeded in on it. Despite how long she could have kept going with just Yuna, the reporter realized that it probably wouldn't be particularly advantageous going on with the Al Bhed. Better to end it smoothly.

"So many questions left to ask," she quickly improvised. "But I'm afraid we're out of time. Our thanks to today's guests, High Summoner Yuna and the Gullwings!"

As quickly as humanly possible, in order to minimize as much damage as possible, the camera crew immediately set about the task of shutting down their equipment and getting cleaned up. No one wanted to try their hand at dealing with an offended Brother. Fortunately, he didn't seem to mind, and somehow Buddy managed to persuade him to return to the Celsius.

At the same time, Shelinda turned towards Yuna with _much_ more familiarity now that they were off camera. She smiled widely as Rikku bounded over towards them with Paine behind her.

Yuna, after returning Shelinda's smile with a warm one of her own, glanced at the sphere hunter.

"Not bad," Paine said.

"You should have joined in, too," Yuna replied casually, but Paine could sense how she felt ultimately victorious for having gone through with the whole thing.

She shrugged. "It was more fun watching."

"Lady Yuna," Shelinda reached over to grasp the Summoner's hand. "Thank you so much for helping me out." She suddenly pulled away and reached into her robes. A moment later, she produced a pale yellow sphere. "It isn't much, but consider it a token of my gratitude."

"Oh, wow!" Rikku's eyes widened gleefully as Yuna accepted the gift. She looked at Paine. "This whole thing really _was_ an _ingenious _idea! Couldn't have planned it better myself!"

Paine smirked. "I bet." The statement caused the Al Bhed girl to pout.

She turned towards Shelinda, deciding to change the offensive conversation. "So, how long have you been doing this?"

"Well," Shelinda shifted on the stool, settling in more comfortably. "After the Calm came, the Temples were in decline. At first, I thought the best thing I could do would be to help the Temples get back on their feet. But everyone just ordered me around. I got tired of it."

Yuna frowned. "You couldn't just tell them 'no'?"

Paine scoffed at that. As if the Summoner had any right to talk! When it came to saying 'no' to other people, how often did Yuna actually say it?

Shelinda shrugged. "That's the part of me I wanted to change! I made up my mind to leave the Temple and come here to Luca. They needed people for this, and they asked me to help… so here I am."

Paine scoffed at that as well. "Another job you were 'asked' to do?"

The reporter flushed, embarrassed. "I suppose nothing about me has really changed after all."

Yuna confidently shook her head. "That's not true."

Shelinda smiled. "You're very kind." She paused for a moment, taking a breath, and then slid off her stool. "Well, I gotta run. My next assignment is about to start." She glanced once more at Yuna, very cheerfully. "See you later, Lady Yuna!"

"Good bye," the Summoner called after her as she started towards a few of the other crew members. Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all watched her for a few more moments.

Paine shook her head. "She complains, but you can tell she enjoys it."

Rikku chuckled. "Sounds a bit like Yunie, don't you think?"

Yuna's eyes opened widely. "Really?" She hadn't thought she had been complaining over anything…

But then… Yuna _was_ always insisting that she was no longer a Summoner. However, whenever things got bad in Spira, she _did_ insist on helping other people out. She never had let go of her role as a Summoner, despite the things she said. Maybe _that_ was what Rikku meant.

The Al Bhed girl grinned at Paine. "Dr. P, care to give us your opinion?"

A smile curled on Paine's face again, and she glanced at the ground, considering. "The hardest person to know is yourself."

Isn't that the truth? Yuna hadn't been able to decide… was she a Summoner still? Or not? What _was_ her role in Spira now? She _knew_ she was a Gullwing, and not part of the Youth League or New Yevon. But still… what did it _mean_ to be a Gullwing?

All the questions were giving Yuna a headache. She playfully pushed away from Rikku and Paine. "Hey, cut that out!"

Rikku laughed, and Paine smiled. And Yuna understood what they had been trying to do all along – ever since arriving in Luca.

They were good friends.

Feeling _extremely_ happier than she had earlier that morning, Yuna hopped off the stool and together, she, Rikku, and Paine made their way down the streets of Luca.

**ooooooo**


	21. Chocobos

**ooooooo**

As Yuna, Rikku, and Paine left Luca, continuing their search for members of the Leblanc Syndicate along the Mi'ihen Highroad, they couldn't have failed to notice the Celsius parked alongside the beautiful stretch of fields and trails. And as they approached it, they watched as Clasko jumped out of the ship to meet them.

"Brother, Buddy, and Shinra were talking about how long a search could take here," the young man told the Summoner, Guardian, and sphere hunter. "This road is huge, and to save time, we all decided that I could help you guys search while they flew over in the airship, you know? Doing a sky sweep. And then we'd all meet later."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Rikku agreed exuberantly. Yuna and Paine both nodded, so together, the four of them started down the road. And as they did so, the Celsius lifted off into the air, and flew along ahead of them.

It was getting late in the day, however, and by the time the four of them reached the Travel Agency – the midway point across the road – they decided to rest and spend the night.

The sun was setting brightly. As Rikku, Paine, and Clasko headed inside the building, Yuna paused and glanced back out over her shoulder. She stared at the land and sky for a few moments – the brilliant scarlet, pink, golden colors blending into one over the fields – making them look almost like they were on fire… It was a gentle, quiet sunset, and it reminded Yuna of yet even more memories.

She had been sitting on that very hill right there, only a few yards away from the Travel Agency… She had been recording herself in a sphere… in order to say goodbye. And she had been thinking about how wonderful it would be to live in a place like Mi'ihen… When _he_ had walked up behind her.

_"Whatcha up to?"_

Yuna sighed. She'd find him… She had to…

"Yunie?" Rikku walked back outside, looking for her cousin. "Are you coming in or what?"

"I'm coming," Yuna assured her, turning away from the sunset and heading towards Rikku. She smiled. "I was just taking in the natural beauty of Spira."

"Yeah," Rikku sighed and looked out past Yuna at the sunset. "It is kinda nice." The two of them stood there together, in front of the Travel Agency, watching the sunset, until the sky turned dark.

**ooooooo**

The next morning, Yuna woke up early and slid out of bed. As she started towards a washroom, she noticed that her only companion was Rikku, and she was _just_ starting to wake up herself that moment.

By the time Yuna was finished cleaning up, Rikku, much more conscious at that point, was stretching in the middle of the room. Before any of them could say much of anything, however, the door to that room opened and Paine walked in.

"Clasko's already out scoping the road for the Syndicate," the sphere hunter told them. "We'll have to catch up with him, so hurry."

"Sure thing, boss," Rikku agreed sardonically. Paine rolled her eyes, and the three of them made their way outside.

It was a cool morning – the wind blew gently over the undulating grass throughout the meadows that that road ran across. The sun, which was beginning to rise, had not yet banished the morning dew, though the contrast between its warmth and the colder air was remarkably refreshing.

Yuna breathed it all in happily. It was a gorgeous morning, promising all kinds of excitement and hope. She didn't think anything could go wrong.

Until she heard the rising voice of a frustrated man standing near the Travel Agency's built-in stable.

"I'm sorry, but you won't be able to go chocobo riding!"

"Huh?" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all turned to see the man by the stable talking to a teenage girl. She couldn't have been older than sixteen, and she seemed to be in utter dismay.

Rather short and thin, she had deeply tanned skin and short black hair that she kept pulled out of her face. She dressed in brown boots and a short black skirt, with nothing but a white piece of cloth covering her breasts. Not much clothing to be sure, especially in the cold morning, but the girl carried herself in such a modest way that everything seemed to balance out a little. She was sadly shaking her head in response to the man's severe refusal. "I see. Sorry to bother you…"

She turned dejectedly and started walking towards Yuna, Rikku, and Paine with her head bowed. When she glanced up, however, her eyes met Yuna's, and both of them immediately recognized each other.

"Lady Yuna!" the girl exclaimed.

"Calli!" Yuna replied in equal amazement. The last time she had seen the girl had been here on the Highroad two years ago. She had _so_ been looking forward to the Calm... Yuna hurried towards her and they embraced warmly. When they pulled apart, Calli looked a _lot_ happier than she had a moment ago.

"You remember me!" she said joyfully.

"Of course I do," Yuna assured her as Rikku and Paine both approached curiously. "But what are you doing here?"

"I came to ride a chocobo," she said, glancing down as her dismay returned. She spoke quietly. "I've wanted to ride one for as long as I can remember."

"Hmm," Rikku shook her head, eager to involve herself in the conversation. "You don't see too many chocobos these days. Everybody rides hovers." The only people who really got to ride chocobos anymore were people in the military. It sounded sad, but that was the way things went.

"Yeah…" Calli admitted dejectedly. "And on top of that, I hear there's a chocobo-hunting fiend prowling around. This isn't a very good place for poor little chocobos anymore."

Yuna started at the teenager's words. A chocobo-hunting fiend? But hadn't… she already defeated the chocobo-eater two years ago? Was there another one?

Rikku sighed and shook her head. "Maybe they're gone for good…?"

Calli looked up at her miserably, but couldn't think of anything to say to that. Yuna didn't reply either, but started towards the little hill where she had sat two years ago, recording her goodbyes. Rikku, Paine, and Calli all watched her go as she scaled up that little hill.

"Yunie…?" Rikku curiously called after her.

The Summoner paused and glanced back over her shoulder. "I'm going to see if I can find that chocobo-eater."

"Why?" Rikku demanded, completely unaware of who her words reminded Yuna of.

The Summoner almost laughed as she replied: "Because it's the right thing to do." She continued up to the hill's summit, moving farther and farther away from the Agency and the Highroad. But when she reached the top and gazed down the descending slope, she started in surprise. "Hey!"

"Hey, what?" Rikku asked as she, Paine, and Calli climbed after her.

"Cho…" Yuna couldn't even make a full word out, so great was her surprise.

"Cho!" Rikku energetically agreed, though she wasn't particularly sure why. She reached Yuna's side first, and her mouth dropped open in amazement.

"Cho?" Paine asked, perplexed. But that went away as soon as she saw what her two friends were staring at.

Calli reached them last and looked down in pure wonder. "It's a chocobo!"

Sure enough, the large golden bird seemed to have been searching the grass for food, keeping itself hidden from the sight of anyone alongside the road, even as it boldly drew close to the Agency. Now, its long, lean neck curved up, and its small black eyes stared at them, over its great hooked beak. It didn't seem particularly surprised to see them, or even the slightest bit alarmed by them, which was uncharacteristic of most wild chocobos who weren't distracted by some kind of green vegetation. But it didn't walk up to greet them, either.

"Let's get it!" Rikku cried excitedly, diving towards the bird. It squealed – not in surprise or fear or even anger… but in simple defiance. Moving with consummate speed and grace, it evaded the Al Bhed, and started up the hill towards Yuna, Paine, and Calli.

"Can we…?" Calli hesitated as the chocobo approached at a surprising speed.

"Catch it!" Rikku shouted, spinning on her heel to watch. But even as Yuna and Paine both made to grab hold, the chocobo powerfully shook them off, sending them crashing to the ground, and continued on towards the Highroad. As Rikku ran up the hill to help Calli assist Yuna and Paine back onto their feet, they watched as the very few other early travelers on the road turned round in amazement to watch the magnificent creature barreling towards them.

"Let's go after it!" Yuna suggested, looking at Calli. "We'll get you a chocobo to ride on yet!"

Calli nodded. Together, the four girls started after the chocobo – though none more eagerly than Rikku.

"It went this way!" she cried, starting down one of the Highroad's many side trails. The others followed quickly, and sure enough, up ahead, they could see the chocobo slowing down. It turned its long, graceful neck around to glance back at them challengingly.

"There it is!" Rikku was hopping up and down. Yuna glanced at her in amusement, and Paine in annoyance. But Calli was completely focused on the chocobo. Rikku started sprinting forward. "Stay close to me! I'll get that chocobo!"

For a moment, it looked like she might. But then the bird took off again, running to their left, and Rikku missed it by a feather. Yuna almost laughed out loud as she realized that the chocobo was playing with them. It had no intention of getting caught… but if it wanted to, it could have disappeared along the far reaches of the Mi'ihen fields and meadows long before now. It was enjoying itself.

Rikku turned so quickly to go after it that she almost landed on her face. But she lithely kept her balance and chased the bird. Yuna and Paine sprinted after her, with Calli trailing behind as quickly as she could. But the young girl was no athlete, and did not possess the speed and agility that Yuna and Paine both did. When the two Gullwings finally caught up with Rikku, Calli was left far behind, in their wake.

The Mi'ihen Highroad's many side roads curved up and over or around and through several hills and pastures. There were some sparse patches of woods and trees, and the Gullwings presently found themselves chasing the chocobo through such a one. With all the greens and browns surrounding them, they could see the chocobo in front of them as if it were radiating in its own generated light. It was indeed a wondrous creature.

"This isn't working!" Yuna observed as the three of them ran side by side after their quarry. "It's too fast for us!"

"We'll have to cut it off!" Paine theorized. She glanced at the Al Bhed girl. "Rikku. Stay here and wait for it!"

"Aww!" the girl complained, but she did as she was told.

Paine glanced at the Summoner. "Try steering it to the right! I'll meet it there!"

Yuna nodded, and raced even faster after the chocobo as the sphere hunter disappeared past several trees to her right.

Yuna ran as quickly as she could. She didn't run out of necessity or out of fear… but out of pure enjoyment and delight. Her throat began to burn slightly, but not enough to slow her down. She could tolerate the fire. She took joy in the utter freedom such a flight seemed to give her.

She could run forever. That was the feeling she seemed to have. Everything else… New Yevon… the Youth League… even sphere hunting! seemed slightly trivial in this open liberty that bound her with no restraint.

Something that had been hidden deep inside her heart seemed to kindle at that moment, and began to spread through her body and through her soul like a river. It was invigorating, and she felt like she could hold out her arms and fly. It reminded her of… Summoning.

There were no Aeons anymore… And yet… sometimes it felt like they were still there inside Yuna's heart. Sometimes… she could feel them. Like she did at that moment, running through the trees like a little girl. And she felt like she could do anything if she believed. She could _definitely_ fly.

The chocobo was only a few yards in front of her. Yuna made to run left of it, and it heard her coming. Turning its long neck to look at her, it practically squealed in surprise. It hadn't realized how close behind she was! To avoid her, it turned and started running to its right. Yuna beamed happily.

And sure enough, the chocobo realized its mistake as it saw Paine in front of it, cutting it off. It doubled back towards Rikku, who waited for it jubilantly.

"I've got you now!" she proclaimed. The chocobo almost seemed to shake its head and sigh. _Nice attempt_, it seemed to say. _But you aren't gonna catch me _this_ easily!_ And without missing a beat, the chocobo jumped and completely vaulted over Rikku's head before continuing back towards the main road.

Rikku fell on her knees in frustration. "Aww, man! Maybe it's just me… but this is starting to chap my hide!"

"Do you want to quit?" Paine asked as she and Yuna rushed over to the Al Bhed.

But Rikku shook her head and pushed back up to her feet. She started after the chocobo. "Come back here, bird brain!"

Poor Calli was just starting to catch up with them when she saw the chocobo in front of her. She reached out her hands to grab at it, but it shoved past her with uncontested ease. Calli moaned, but a moment later Rikku, Paine, and Yuna practically flew past her in pursuit of the bird, and she watched them go in incredulity. The three of them were just _determined_ to catch that chocobo! It was like there was no stopping them.

Feeling slightly more hopeful, Calli started after them once again. She did not notice when, from the shadows of the trees behind her, something moved. Something _big_ moved. Watching _her_ as it went.

The chocobo did not continue on towards the Highroad, but ran along the edge of the woods for awhile. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine stubbornly continued after it. And Clasko, having been walking up and down the side roads himself, searching for members of the Leblanc Syndicate, saw them, and watched in astounded surprise. _What did they think they were doing?_ Always ready to help out where he could, he glanced around and started back purposely towards the main road. There was something he needed to collect first.

It felt like hours passed away after that. Yuna, Paine, and Rikku tried cutting it off a few times more, but the bird was beginning to expect that, and wouldn't be duped.

Paine was getting frustrated. "For such scrawny legs, it sure can run."

"There's got to be a better way than this!" Rikku agreed, breathing heavily and slowing down from fatigue, despite herself.

But at that moment, Clasko reappeared. He seemed to have come from nowhere, and was standing in the chocobo's path with an expression of such calm patience that the creature actually hesitated in suspicion.

But then the boy held out his hand, and the chocobo had a clear view of what he was offering it. Gyshal Greens!

It squealed in surprised joy – for chocobos absolutely _loved_ Gyshal Greens – and eagerly ran forward to accept Clasko's gift. The boy laughed in delight as he held out the greens for the magnificent bird, who nudged him fondly and gratefully before divulging itself in food.

"Huh?" Rikku stared in open-mouthed shock as Yuna and Paine both slowly approached, clearly impressed by what they saw.

"Yeah," Clasko gently stroked the chocobo's long neck – causing it to squeal again and look up at him, greatly startled. But then the bird seemed to relax, as it settled down and allowed Clasko to pet it – actually _enjoying_ the sensation. The bird liked Clasko. _That_ much was obvious.

Clasko beamed as the three girls walked up to him. "Look at her. Isn't she gorgeous?"

"_She_?" Paine asked. The chocobo was female?

Clasko nodded.

"You're very impressive, Clasko," Yuna told him, and the boy's face suddenly turned a bright red.

Rikku crossed her arms and feigned conceit. "If you ask me, he's just a show off."

Yuna laughed. "You're just jealous because he's so much better with chocobos than the great Rikku'll ever be!"

"Well, I guess someone with all the talents I possess can't possibly be the best at _everything_," Rikku joked.

Paine shook her head in amusement. "Careful now. You're beginning to sound like Leblanc."

Meanwhile, as the Gullwings engrossed themselves in their conversation with Clasko, Calli was still working to catch up with them. However, all the excitement and the strain of trying to keep up with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, had begun to wear her out a little bit, and she had slowed to a walk in order to catch her breath. She was still deep within the little copse of trees – but it was turning out to be a larger and thicker wood than she had at first realized.

Now, Calli had grown up in Mi'ihen, but not even _she_ knew her way around every little woodland in the entirety of the Highroad. It was just too big! So now all she could do was work her way back the way she hoped she had come, and try to find the High Summoner again.

The thing was… she was growing a little scared. She felt like… there was something watching her. Or rather she _knew_ there was something watching her, because she could hear it.

But whenever branches snapped, whenever the grass and leaves upon the ground rustled under something's weight, whenever she could both hear and smell something's breath on the wind, and turned to look for its source, she saw nothing.

Her heart was beginning to race again, and she quickened her steps to match its pace. Before long, she was running through the trees as quickly as she possibly could.

Until her foot caught on a protruding root, sending her crashing heavily to the ground.

Something let loose a wild wail in the forest. Looking over her shoulder, Calli saw a fiend slumping towards her. It wasn't like any fiend she had ever seen before. She screamed.

Not too far away, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Clasko, and even the chocobo all heard the two cries and turned towards them in alarm. Rikku scurried towards them. "What was that?"

"It sounded like Calli!" Yuna felt a wave of fear sweep through her. The teenager was in those woods completely alone, and up against Yevon knew what! If anything happened to her…!

Yuna bolted towards the trees.

"Yunie!" Rikku was immediately after the Summoner, and Paine caught up. They left behind an astounded chocobo breeder and his new chocobo, both of whom glanced at each other in concern.

When Yuna, Rikku, and Paine reentered the woods, they weren't quite sure which way to head, but another scream from Calli offered them direction. Running towards the cry, it didn't take them as long as they had feared it would to find what they were seeking.

And what they saw caused them to stop short in fear.

The fiend was huge. How it managed to navigate through such a copse of trees was beyond Yuna's understanding. It was an enormous bluish-black head set upon two tiny legs instead of on a neck, with two brown shoulders sitting atop its crown, stretching out into incredibly long, _thick_ arms that were each, by themselves, powerful enough to carry a chocobo. Its hide was visibly thick and tough, and its mouth, which was even then hanging open, was big enough to bite into half an entire chocobo – its deadly rows of teeth were extremely visible, and greatly resembled giant claws.

Yuna recognized it immediately. It was most _definitely_ a chocobo-eater.

Presently, it was clutching Calli by her waist, easily holding her in one yellow clawed hand, as its small, angry golden eyes carefully inspected her. She was screaming loudly, and struggling to break free, but even still the fiend found her a _lot_ easier to manage than many of the chocobos it had hunted in the past. Calli wasn't going to break loose, and the fiend remained unhurried as it methodically held up its other hand and touched her face.

It really _was_ examining her, Yuna realized in horror. Chocobo-eaters weren't known to devour anything other than chocobos, but if the great birds really were growing scarce in the world, the fiends would have no choice _but_ to start hunting people.

"Calli!" Yuna took several steps forward, and both the teenager and the fiend turned towards her.

"Lady Yuna!" Calli screamed as the chocobo-eater held her up even higher into the air, keeping her safely away from her would-be rescuers, as it swatted its free hand at the Summoner. Calli grew dizzy as tears blurred her vision.

Yuna found herself stumbling backwards to avoid the fiend's attack. Rikku and Paine both rushed to support her, and the three stared at the monster anxiously. But by no means helplessly.

Touching her Warrior dressphere, Yuna's clothes transformed into black leather, and in her hand, she held her Guardian's sword. The Brotherhood. And Rikku, at the same time, transformed into her Black Mage Garment, once again. Together, with Paine at their side, they charged boldly towards the chocobo-eater.

It furiously swung its arm at them, scowling, and then shrieking in anger as Yuna and Paine both effortlessly vaulted over it, and as Rikku ducked underneath. The Al Bhed instantly found herself at the fiend's side – literally between its small leg and huge arm. From that position, it couldn't see her, for it couldn't possibly have had much peripheral vision, but it knew that she was there.

Not that it could do much about Rikku at that moment. It was too concerned with Yuna. For while Paine had completely jumped over the fiend, landing behind it, the Summoner had grabbed onto its shoulder, and now stood on top of it, struggling to keep her balance. She took the watery blade in her hands and savagely plowed it down against the monster's flesh.

Unfortunately, the attack hardly seemed to faze the fiend – the Brotherhood just skimmed off, unable to pierce its thick hide. Yuna bit her lip in concern, and this time was unable to avoid the chocobo-eater's arm as it savagely batted her off its head. She landed heavily on the ground, sprawled out on her back, completely out of breath as a leaded sensation filled her stomach. She moaned, slowly sitting up.

"Lady Yuna!"

It was Clasko's voice. She could suddenly see him riding towards the fight astride the back of the beautiful chocobo. They were both taking in the whole scene with surprising composure – considering the look of complete terror written across Clasko's face, and the fact that monsters like this one consumed chocobos for breakfast. But the chocobo was wearing the same look she had earlier – the one where she was ready for and looking forward to a real challenge.

Rikku and the chocobo-eater saw them approach at the same time. And as the fiend turned eagerly towards the bird, Rikku scurried as quickly as she could to stand in the monster's path. It looked down at her irritably, but she moved quicker than it had anticipated.

Throwing up her arm, she released the same power she had used in Kilika. And once again, the magic flowed through her like a streaming river.

The lightning struck at the arm holding Calli. Letting out an agonizing cry, the monster dropped the girl to cradle its arm.

Calli screamed as she suddenly found herself plummeting towards the ground. Clasko watched in horror, too stunned to move. Fortunately, the chocobo wasn't. It sprang towards the falling girl, moving as quickly as the lightning had struck. By the time it halted beneath the girl, Clasko managed to regain enough of his senses to hold out his arms and catch her.

Her weight nearly dragged him off the chocobo's back. She was shaking something fierce, grasping at him tightly and in a panic. She couldn't stop crying, and it was all Clasko could do to help keep her securely mounted atop the chocobo. The bird quickly moved away from the monster.

And not a moment too soon. The fiend had recovered enough to go after its prey, and it _did_ attempt to.

But Rikku let out yet another attack. And this one would be a _lot_ more difficult for the chocobo-eater to recover from. For it was fire that now gushed out of her fingertips.

A conflagration stormed around the monster, consuming it, melting its thick hide into liquidy wax. The smell of burning flesh was overwhelming. _That_ had been the one thing Rikku hadn't expected when she had unleashed the fire, and it had been one thing she had forgotten about from time spent with Lulu on Yuna's pilgrimage. Gasping, and choking for air free of that awful stench, Rikku lost her concentration, and the fire spell diminished.

Left behind was something even more hideous than anything Clasko or Calli had ever seen. Even the brass chocobo backed up in alarm as the fiend – who was still alive – twitched and twisted around in both pain and rage – which was a deadly combination.

It charged towards Rikku with surprising speed, its mouth open and its teeth bared. It looked ready to rip her own flesh apart and consume what remained. She backed away from it, squealing.

But Paine was suddenly standing between the girl and the fiend. Lifting her own blade, she gracefully swept it through the monster's hide, piercing it as Yuna's blade had been unable to. For Rikku's inferno had softened the monster, and its thick skin could no longer protect it.

It shrieked again, recoiling savagely. But Paine showed it no mercy. She followed it, and brutally stabbed and slashed her blade at it over and over again. Before long, it just could not recover from her blows.

It erupted, sending Paine flying backwards. The sphere hunter collided into Rikku, and both of them landed heavily on the ground. And when they looked up, grumbling and pushing away from each other, all that remained of the chocobo-eater were streams of golden light and several greenish orbs that were all floating towards the sky. A moment later, even those were gone.

"Man," Rikku sighed, and looked over at Paine with a cheerful smile. "Was that fun or what?" Paine glared at her and did not reply. As the two of them pushed to their feet, the Al Bhed kept on talking: "I mean, there's nothing better than waking up in the morning, hunting for chocobos, and then hunting for chocobo-eaters fifteen minutes later, right?"

The two of them glanced towards the chocobo, and watched as Clasko gently lowered Calli down into Yuna's awaiting arms. The Summoner then carefully helped the girl onto the ground as the boy slid off the chocobo's back.

"Is she all right?" Rikku called as she and Paine started over to them.

"I think she'll be fine," Yuna said, standing up as Clasko knelt down next to her. "But just in case…"

Once again, Yuna touched one of her dresspheres. A moment later, the streams of light that had burst forth from her touch faded, leaving behind a woman dressed in white robes trimmed with red – complete with a hood pulled up on her head. In her hands she held a staff – one that Rikku recognized immediately. It was a blue staff, with a golden emblem at its tip.

A Summoner's staff, Rikku thought sorrowfully to herself. It was the Summoning staff Yuna had carried on her pilgrimage. It reminded the Al Bhed of everything Yuna had experienced, everything she had dealt with, along that painful journey.

Calli, who was resting gratefully in Clasko's arms, looked up at Yuna in solemn awe. She, too, recognized that staff, and it reminded her of whose presence she was in. Not just Yuna of the Gullwings'. Not even just Lady Yuna's. But High Summoner Yuna's. The woman responsible for the Eternal Calm. Just looking at her now was enough to pacify the terrified teenage girl. Yuna was someone she could trust. Someone who would keep her safe. Who would keep the world safe.

Yuna held up her staff, and white light poured forth from its emblem. That light swept over them – over Yuna herself, Paine, Rikku, Clasko, the chocobo, and most especially, over Calli. It cured them, and made them whole.

**ooooooo**

They slowly made their way back to the Travel Agency feeling tired, but elated. It wasn't even midmorning yet, and they had already had enough excitement to last them an entire week!

Not that they minded. Yuna and Rikku had changed back into their regular Garments, and the three of them talked and laughed about the entire incident as Clasko and Calli rode together on the back of the chocobo. They were ready for more adventures, for their searches weren't over yet, and never before had their individual pursuits seemed more possible to obtain. They were indeed ready to be on their way again.

Clasko suddenly urged the chocobo into a gallop, and he, along with Calli, cried out in pure, utter delight as the bird ran like the wind, offering them the greatest of freedom. They both finally had the one thing they had been hoping for, for so, so long.

Yuna smiled, contented. "She looks happy."

Paine shrugged. "Whatever works for her."

The Summoner nodded. "Shall we?"

The three of them hastened back to the Agency where they saw the Celsius waiting for them. And Clasko, Calli, and the chocobo were at its entrance, awaiting them as well.

"Hi, guys!" Rikku chirped cheerfully, reaching out a hand to pet the chocobo. But the bird flung its head back and snapped at her. Rikku nearly fell backwards in surprise as Clasko grinned.

"Don't take it personally, Rikku," he advised with a smile. "She's just reminding you that she's a wild creature, and even if she does tolerate some people on her back, she's most definitely not a pet."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rikku grumbled.

"Lady Yuna," Calli took a small step towards the Summoner with a face flushed with a mixture of gratitude, hope, and timidity. "Clasko told me how he's traveling with you. I was… hoping… can I travel on the Celsius with you as well?"

"Huh?" Yuna had _not_ been expecting _that_ request. But she certainly didn't see anything wrong with it, and when she glanced at Rikku and Paine, neither of the two objected. So she looked at the girl with a smile and a nod. "All aboard."

Relief was the one word that could best describe Calli's expression. She smiled. "Oh, thank you, Lady Yuna!"

"We are in your debt," Clasko told her as he turned towards the chocobo. "Okay, girl. Moment of truth. Do you want to come with us or stay?"

The chocobo immediately responded by lowering its head and gently pecking at Clasko's belt – where it could _definitely_ smell some more Gyshal Greens. Clasko laughed his own relief. The chocobo would stay with them. His dreams were coming true.

**ooooooo**


	22. Personal Journeys

**ooooooo**

As the sun rose higher into the azure sky, the Gullwings drew onto Mushroom Rock Road once again. And, once again, Brother landed the airship to allow the three women out so they could continue searching for signs of the Syndicate on ground.

This time, however, Clasko did not join them on their hunt. Now that Calli was traveling with them, and with a chocobo no less! he had taken it upon himself to see them settled comfortably down in their new environment.

It _was_ a strange task, though. Just a few short days ago, _he_ had been the new one on the airship needing care, as the mere _thought_ of soaring around in the sky made him feel sick and queasy. Things sure changed quickly. Flying already felt like a normal, everyday experience to him, and he could help Calli and the chocobo grow accustomed to it as well with perfect ease. Such a thing made him feel all the more useful, and sure of himself. His dreams were coming true, and his confidence was building as well. His life sure was beginning to feel better now, now that he no longer considered himself part of the Youth League, and could follow his own heart. It definitely was different, and for the better!

Unfortunately, the burdens that _had_ weighed Clasko down when he had served the Youth League would soon begin weighing the rest of the Gullwings down as well – even though they really weren't even members to begin with! The Youth League just had so many expectations… and Yuna didn't want to disappoint them… But she didn't want to be obligated to them either. The resulting pressures… were simply awful.

That much became clear as Yuna led Rikku and Paine towards the Youth League Headquarters. They were supposed to be concentrating on finding members of the Leblanc Syndicate, but all they could focus on at all were the dozens of Youth Leaguers who saw them and welcomed them as they might have welcomed royalty.

"It's the Gullwings!" People would call out to their friends joyously.

"Well, I'll be," others would say as they stopped and stared.

"So it's true!" Rumors would start. "They really _are_ gonna join the Youth League!"

Yuna sighed, glancing dully at Rikku and Paine. The latter seemed indifferent to the whole situation, as usual, but the Al Bhed seriously looked ready to lash out at the next person to speak _any _of the words: "Gullwings," "join," or "Youth League."

"It's okay, Rikku," the Summoner quietly assured her cousin, who replied simply by looking put out.

They continued down the road until they could see the tents ahead of them. And from there, a man was approaching them. Yuna again glanced at Rikku and Paine, and they both looked back uncertainly. It didn't take them long to recognize the man as Yaibal, but even then, they weren't sure what to expect from him when he reached them.

They shouldn't have expected anything else than what they'd already seen from all the other Youth Leaguers.

He walked up to them with a smile. "Lady Yuna! Thank you!"

She stared at him blankly for several moments. "Umm… for what?"

Yaibal took an eager step towards the Summoner, causing Yuna to take a slight step backwards. He _had_ been grinning widely, but _now_ he hesitated as if unsure. "Surely this is the day you will honor us by joining the Youth League?"

Yuna wondered what she had done _now_ to give out _that_ impression, even as Rikku and Paine both wondered if anyone ever watched the news Shelinda was working so hard to broadcast.

Yaibal was growing excited once again. "What an occasion! I have long dreamed that this day would come!"

"Sorry," Rikku grumbled as Yuna shifted uneasily on her feet.

"Well, actually," she said softly, feeling her face flush. "That's not why we're here…"

Yaibal tilted his head with a frown, but then pushed on as if hadn't expected anything else. "Don't worry about it. Even still, the Youth League will give the Gullwings a grand welcome." As if to confirm this statement, he looked over his shoulder at a few of the passing Youth League soldiers – most of whom had stopped in their passing to listen in on the conversation. Now, however, they practically jumped to attention.

"Sir!"

And then they rushed to different stations along the road from that point all the way up to the headquartering tents.

Yaibal nodded his satisfaction before looking back at the Summoner. "Please proceed to Headquarters immediately. You'll find whatever assistance you may require there."

"From you?" Paine asked callously.

Yaibal shook his head. "Not this time, I'm afraid. I do have other duties to attend to, so if you'll excuse me." He graciously bowed at the waist before Yuna, and then turned and rushed off down the road. Yuna watched him go for several moments, before a sudden transmission from the Celsius quickly distracted her from her thoughts.

"What's up?" Rikku was talking into her receiver. She didn't have to wait long at all to get a response.

"Buddy here," the navigating Al Bhed informed them. "We're picking up some weak sphere waves near you."

_That_ comment caught them all off guard, and they looked at each other curiously. Weren't they supposed to be looking for members of the Leblanc Syndicate? Rikku asked, and Buddy could be heard laughing on the other end.

"Of course we are!" he assured them. "But we're still sphere hunters, right? Besides, if there's a sphere, you might run into someone from the Syndicate looking for it as well."

"Of course!" Rikku hopped excitedly in a large circle, wildly looking in every direction. She paused with a frown. "But I don't see anything…"

"It actually seems to be coming from a ravine near you," Buddy explained, which caused all three of the women to stiffen. "Can you find a way down?"

He _had_ to have been talking about the gorge that led down to the Den of Woe. Yuna and Rikku looked at each other anxiously – but in an anticipating sort of way. Paine _felt_ anxious, but for a terribly different reason.

"We can get down there easy!" Rikku assured the other Al Bhed.

"Right," Yuna nodded. "We'll take a look!"

Rikku hurriedly set her receiver back in its place on her belt, ignoring Brother's "Be careful!" as she did so, and then turned towards the lonely trail that ran down into the gorge. Yuna hurried after her, as she hastened towards it, leaving Paine following reluctantly behind.

The sphere hunter sighed, and looked over her shoulder towards Youth League Headquarters as she went. Many of the soldiers Yaibal had stationed for them were watching curiously, but _thankfully_ they didn't follow or interrupt. But the more Paine thought on that, the more apprehensive she became. They had been told that the Den of Woe was off limits for the time being, as the Youth League conducted investigations. So why was no one stopping them now from approaching it?

Paine _despised_ the place. It scared her to death, though she would _never_ openly admit that. Something had happened there… and Paine did _not_ want to see it happen again, despite the fact that she still had a very little understanding of what that exactly was in the first place…

It didn't matter. What mattered was that the Den of Woe was dangerous, and even though it might hold the truth's secrets concerning two years ago, Paine had hoped to find another way of uncovering them. A way that did not involve her coming here.

But it couldn't be helped now. The three of them made their way into the gorge – a feat which was a lot easier in the afternoon, by the way, than it had been in the darkness of the evening twilight – and started in surprise when they realized they were not the first ones there.

Paine nearly stumbled backwards when she saw Meyvn Nooj turn a scrutinizing glare their way. So _he_ was why the Youth League soldiers had not hindered them. They had known he was down here, and so they knew he would more than likely hinder the Gullwings for them.

She couldn't believe her luck.

And neither could Nooj. He found himself staring intently at Yuna – the first woman in _God_ knew how long to ask about a particular man that _should_ have been forgotten. _Was she…?_ His thoughts stopped short, however, as he noticed the Al Bhed, and then Paine.

Paine…

His gaze swept over hers, and for a moment, neither of the two moved.

And suddenly Paine's disgust for the man dissipated. She was left feeling a momentary yearning… Yearning for the truth… And hoping that it could not be what it seemed. Two years ago… he had betrayed them… but it couldn't be that simple, could it? Paine didn't want to believe that. She wanted to believe it had been something more complicated than mere betrayal. Like an accident… that's what she _yearned_ for the truth to be.

But Paine was starting to find reality to be a lot more cruel. Nooj wasn't trying to fool her with complications. In fact, he wasn't trying to fool her at all. He turned away from her, with a contemptuous "Hmph." And Paine felt her disgust returning like a tempest. _That_ was the truth. Nooj was a cold man who no longer cared about her, or about anything other than himself.

"Is something the matter?" Yuna asked as Nooj turned back towards the sealed entrance of the Den.

He spoke harshly. "Just that this cave will probably never be broken into ever again."

Paine flinched. _Why did he want to go back in there?_ Memories and images flashed wildly through her mind.

_Darkness…_

_Gunfire…_

_Screaming…_

She took a deep breath and looked coldly to the ground as if disinterested. That was the best way to fight such turmoil… with indifference.

"Why not?" Rikku asked curiously.

Nooj glanced at her sharply, and then he sneered. "Because just one sphere isn't enough to get the job done." He held up a crimson colored sphere, and when Paine glanced up at it, she _immediately_ recognized it as one of her own.

Her heart pounded furiously in her throat. And when Nooj looked at her, he seemed able to hear it. She literally _forced_ herself to calm down, and, fortunately, Yuna and Rikku were not as observant as the Meyvn.

"That's it, Yunie," Rikku was informing her cousin. _That_ was the sphere Buddy had told them about.

Yuna nodded and stepped forward thoughtfully. How best to get that sphere away from Nooj without him realizing what she was really after? "I know!" She glanced from Nooj to the sphere, and then to the sealed entrance behind him. "We can get that cave open! Why don't you trust us with the mission?"

Nooj regarded her skeptically. "You'll find the other spheres?" The other spheres needed to break the seal that obstructed the Den of Woes' entrance…

Yuna nodded in determination. "Upon my honor as a sphere hunter!" But then she mischievously folded her arms behind her back and smiled. "Of course, we won't do it for free…"

Nooj watched her very carefully. But the more he did so… the more he believed… she _was_ the same woman… And he could not resist her. "Very well. I leave it in your hands. Here." He held out the sphere towards Rikku. "You can hold on to this sphere."

"Thanks!" Rikku was thrilled, and she rushed towards the proffered gift.

But at that moment, Nooj once again crossed gazes with Paine, and he changed his mind.

Rikku nearly stumbled to her knees as the man walked past her – without surrendering the sphere – and headed towards the leather clad warrior.

She didn't _feel_ like a leather clad warrior, though, as he stopped at her side. She didn't _feel_ like much of anything next to him. He was practically twice her size, and with him so close… she felt like that young, naïve little recorder that had cared for him as much as she had cared for anyone back then… It was all Paine could do to keep composed and reserved for Yuna and Rikku's sakes.

Nooj looked piercingly at her, and to keep calm, she crossed her arms as if in distaste… and not in discomfort.

"Perhaps this is fate?" he suggested quietly.

_Perhaps what is fate?_ she nearly shouted. _Your betrayal? Your brutality? The fact that _now_ you're willing to lead your own faction, when you hesitated at the very _mention_ of such a thing when I had known you? Is it meant to be like this? With the two of us living separate lives – as well as Gippal and Baralai? Were we _meant_ to go four separate ways, pretending we had never known each other, and meant nothing to each other?_

_Was this how it's supposed to be?_

Paine regarded him miserably, and spoke harshly. "I don't think so."

Nooj nodded, and gave her the sphere. Then he continued away from them, making his way out of the gorge and back towards Youth League Headquarters.

Paine, however, was not given a moment to reflect on any more of that, as Rikku was suddenly bounding in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she proclaimed in astonishment as Yuna walked up behind her. "You _know_ him?"

The sphere hunter glanced at the Al Bhed with a frosty shake of her head. "Why should you care?"

"Oh, come on!" Rikku whined. First, Paine had known Gippal. Now she knew Nooj. What was next? The Al Bhed wanted to know! "There was something between you two, right?"

_Was there?_ Paine didn't even want to think about it, and she couldn't hesitate in responding, because then she would inevitably think about it. And since she couldn't quickly formulate a witty response in under half a second, all she could do was lash out in frustration. "Rikku! I'll say this _once_, okay? I consider you a friend, and I trust you. I even respect you! All right? I would think that'd be enough."

"Well, yeah…" Rikku looked put out again. "But… don't you ever want to know more about your friends?" She looked almost pleadingly at the sphere hunter.

And Paine realized… Rikku was being genuine. She was trying to invite the sphere hunter into a little circle of confidence that she shared so easily with Yuna. She _wanted_ to be closer with her ally.

Paine felt slightly surprised by that. And when she spoke, her voice was softer than she would have liked it to be. "Not really."

"Well I do!" Rikku wasn't one to be easily dissuaded. She rushed forward and took Paine's hand in hers – which nearly caused the sphere hunter to fall over in astonishment, for she honestly could not remember the last time she had been in physical contact with another person. The touch almost stung, but Rikku didn't seem to notice. "I do wanna know more about you!"

"What for?" Paine demanded, pulling her hand away from the Al Bhed's in ever growing aggravation. "Who cares what happened in the past?"

The remark actually caused Rikku to flinch, and Paine suddenly remembered that her two companions were looking for the past as much as she was. Perhaps in a different way, but the sphere hunter realized that both of her companions _did_ care about what happened in the past. They cared a _lot_.

Yuna, however, reacted differently. She stepped up beside Rikku in equal interest – not at all discouraged by Paine's words. "So there was something! You know you can tell us, Paine."

"You disappoint me, Yuna," Paine spoke quietly – trying to keep calm. The truth was, she was starting to feel cornered. And she didn't want to be trapped like that – forced to think about that hurtful mystery of her life. "I thought you were above all that."

"Above?" Yuna sounded surprised. "Not anymore, Paine. I'm not a Summoner now. And I've learned that questions help."

_He _used to ask questions, she reminded herself. _He_ would ask questions that the rest of the world had never even considered. If they had, Sin might have been defeated a much _longer _time ago.

"You'll lose friends," Paine scowled.

Yuna hesitated, and looked down. Paine really didn't want to talk about this, did she? Then they had no right to try and force it out of her. "Never mind, then."

"Aw!" That didn't mean Rikku wouldn't complain about it. "And I was looking forward to hearing the good stuff! Confessions of a shady past!"

They were going to let it go… Paine breathed a silent sigh of relief, feeling her body relax again. She hadn't realized until that moment just how tense she had been. But it was safe now. Nevertheless, she _glowered_ at the Al Bhed. "You're a pain. Minus four respect points, Rikku."

The girl stared at the sphere hunter in amazement. What were respect points? Since when had they been keeping count of respect points? What gives? It didn't really matter, however, and Rikku found herself rolling with it. "Uh-oh. How many points left?"

Paine grinned, growing amused by the whole situation. _Great,_ she thought, rolling her eyes. _Rikku's got me going from one extreme to another in a matter of seconds._ But that was just Rikku. She could drive you insane one moment, and make your emotions that much lighter in the next. "Forty-seven."

"Hmm," Rikku thought about that. "That's not a whole lot, is it?"

Paine sighed and walked over to the seal that blocked the way into the cave. Her fist tightened over the crimson sphere Nooj had given her as she stared at the many bars and empty slots of the thing, wondering if she even had anything to fear from it at all. Not even _Nooj_ seemed capable of breaking into that cave, so maybe she wouldn't _have_ to face it again some time in the future…

But a part of her knew she eventually would. Or give up unlocking the secrets of her past. "Why don't you figure out how to get in here, instead of in my head?"

"We already know, don't we?" Yuna asked. "If we find all the right spheres, it'll open, won't it?"

"Which spheres are the right ones?" Paine asked.

"We could try all those crimson spheres," the Summoner suggested. "You know, if we find them all that is."

Paine nodded dully, but Rikku wouldn't be distracted: "I kinda still wanna know what happened…"

Paine shot her a deadly glare. "That's forty-six."

Rikku winced, but then straightened with a smile. "All right, all right. Let's get back to the headquarters, and see if Leblanc's goons are anywhere to be found at all!"

Paine and Yuna agreed, and it did not take long to climb out of the gorge and find their way back amidst the tents and activity buzzing throughout the Youth League camp. They hoped to get through it quickly, and continue on towards Djose without further hindrance, but of course, _that_ was never to be the case.

"Lady Yuna!"

The three Gullwings paused in their flight, and turned to see Elma running eagerly towards them.

_At least it's just Elma,_ Yuna thought as she smiled at the young woman. _It could be worse._

"Lady Yuna," Elma reached them and nearly grabbed the Summoner's hand in pure excitement. "So… is it true? That once the Gullwings join the Youth League, you'll be in charge of your own division?"

Yuna started. _That_ was a new one! She glanced at Rikku and Paine, and the latter shrugged, as if trying to say: _Well, at least they're getting more original and aren't repeating themselves._ She sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess… Yaibal?"

Elma nodded. "Everyone's talking!"

"This story just keeps getting better and better," Rikku grumbled, though not grimly. Yuna knew the Al Bhed simply _loved_ the attention. Notoriety was _not_ a bad thing in _her_ mind… But Elma was frowning – obviously confused, so Yuna decided to set her straight and hope she passed the message along.

"We just helped out the one time, really."

Thankfully, understanding lit up in Elma's eyes, and she nodded. "I knew it. I _thought_ it sounded a bit strange. I mean, you seem like the kind of person who decides things on her own and then just does whatever she planned to do. I really can't picture you joining an organization, or an army, or something like that."

Yuna frowned. "Really?"

"Um, _hello_!" Rikku sarcastically elbowed Yuna's side, and smiled innocently when the Summoner glared at her. But they had no time to explain, for another had been listening to their conversation at a short distance, and took that moment to approach and join in on it.

"Just as I thought."

The three Gullwings, along with Elma, all turned to see Lucil headed their way. Yuna nearly sighed in relief. Now _here_ was a woman she could count on getting the truth out!

In fact, it seemed Lucil had already taken on such a task. She glanced reassuringly at Yuna. "I have reprimanded Yaibal for spreading such ridiculous rumors. It's highly unprofessional."

"Thank you," Yuna breathed, as her gaze caught onto the Youth League Commander's. It was amazing how much understanding, and how many words or thoughts, could be shared within a single look.

Elma, however, unconsciously cut into that. "Yeah, but think how great it'd be if it were true!"

Paine looked at her in disapproval. "Still making a pitch?"

"No!" Lucil cut in for her subordinate, who had glanced at Paine, anxious by her words. Lucil shook her head. "Absolutely not. I know that words alone are not enough to sway Lady Yuna's heart. The heart is not moved from without; but rather, when the time is right, it moves of its own accord from within. Finding the place where one belongs is, by nature, a personal journey."

Yuna honestly couldn't remember the last time she had heard such truth. _Especially_ where it concerned _her_. She smiled, looking down. It was refreshing to find at least _one_ member of the Youth League who didn't seem full of herself.

Elma turned towards Lucil with the greatest of devotion and respect written on her face. "Isn't Commander Lucil amazing? Such wisdom!"

Lucil rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I learned it all from my troops." She gave Yuna one last, apologetic nod. "Please excuse us. We have a strategy session to attend. Farewell."

Rikku waved energetically, which brought a smile to even _Lucil's_ lips.

Elma giggled and waved back. "Come and see us again, okay?"

"Count on it," Yuna promised, and the girl turned and followed Lucil as they made their way deeper into the camp.

Yuna watched them go and sighed as Paine walked up to stand beside her. And once again, the sphere hunter was amazed to discover that two of them weren't at all that different, when you thought about it.

These people weren't letting go of Yuna's past anymore than Rikku had wanted to let go of Paine's not even an hour ago. Considering how the past was already over and done with, it was amazing how tightly people held onto it. Even Paine held on to hers. And even Yuna! – though she denied it whenever she could.

_Memories _are_ what shape and define us, aren't they?_ Paine wondered. She looked down at the crimson sphere which she had once recorded, and still held in her hand. She recognized this one. It had been one of the few which she had set up in what she had hoped to be a suitable little alcove, not too far inside that cave two years ago, before completely abandoning it, leaving it behind, with _every_ intention of coming back for it to see what footage it had caught while she had been gone.

But considering the circumstances, she had not been able to return for it. Now, she couldn't even _fathom_ how it had gotten out of the cave, or what secrets it might reveal to her. It _could_ be exactly what she had been searching for. Or, it could just be another dead end.

The point was, in the end, all it would show – all it _could _show! – would be nothing more than history.

Memories were powerful, Paine acknowledged. They were what motivated her. And they were what motivated Yuna.

The sphere hunter glanced at the Summoner. "Are you ready to go?"

Yuna nodded.

And so they went. To continue on with their personal journeys. And to continue searching for their personal memories.

**ooooooo**


	23. The Search Drags On

**ooooooo**

After leaving Djose – where Rikku was spared another encounter with Gippal, for he had been out on some assignment or other for the Machine Faction – the Gullwings continued on until they reached the Moonflow. It was as beautiful as ever, but morefestive than it had been the last time Yuna and her friends had been there to spend the night.

Memories of _that_ brought a smile to Yuna's face. And then she looked down, trying to stifle a happy laugh – for she could not imagine that she had been traveling with the Gullwings long enough already to have created such memories so soon.

Rikku glanced her way. "You all right?"

"Of course," Yuna assured her. "I'm just very happy."

And _that_ comment made Rikku very happy. She would have cheerfully asked for more details, but Paine stepped forward to interrupt such chitchat.

"I'll be happy once we find three Syndicate members," she grumbled, and that was that.

Or maybe it wasn't.

As they headed deeper into the Moonflow, _other_ memories entered Yuna's thoughts – thoughts which very quickly centered around _him_, though _that_ wasn't _too_ surprising. And she sighed as those thoughts struck several chords within her, shaking up multiple emotions that washed through her so that they blended into one, leaving her slightly weak.

But she didn't complain, and she took care to hide such faintness from her friends. Neither of them noticed, anyway.

They were too preoccupied by Tobli – who seemed somewhat anxious as he scurried around the marshy lands trying to win the support of various men and women… without much luck, from the look of it.

Rikku tilted her head with a frown. "When did he get off the Celsius?"

"When you weren't looking, most likely," Paine replied, not particularly mindful of the situation.

Yuna, awakening from her thoughts, naturally grew more concerned than the sphere hunter. "Let's see if we can't offer some help." And before Paine could object, she was off towards the little conductor with an enthusiastic Rikku right behind her.

"Lady Yuna!" Tobli very nearly whined as soon as he saw the Summoner, Al Bhed, and sphere hunter approach. "The tickets aren't selling! We'll end up with an empty house! That's like a full house with none of the people! What do I _do_?"

Yuna smiled, despite herself, and considered. "Well. Let _me _buy one."

"Yeah!" Rikku exclaimed – loudly enough for Paine to take an unconscious step _away_ from her, and for other people in the area to turn their heads and stare. Rikku had probably expected such notice, and counted on it. "_All_ the Gullwings will buy tickets! We wouldn't miss a show like this for the world! And who knows? Since Yuna loves music so much, maybe she'd grace the audience with a song of her own or something!"

"Rikku!" Yuna stared at her cousin in open astonishment, and her face turned pink. And _that_ was flattering enough on _her_ face. People who heard and who saw found themselves unable to resist.

More than just a few of them began edging forward.

Paine scoffed. "Must be difficult being a celebrity."

"Ooh, Rikku…" Yuna grumbled as Tobli watched in amazement as a few men approached, leaving astonished wives and children waiting eagerly behind them as they inquired into the upcoming performance.

"Let's get outta the way!" Rikku hissed quietly, pulling Yuna and Paine towards the water's edge. From there they watched for almost an hour as Tobli sold countless tickets to countless families – most of whom hadn't heard Rikku's exclamation themselves, but who _had_ heard _rumors_, and were taken enough by them to purchase tickets for no other reason.

And not even Paine could deny that waiting around and watching like this might prove beneficial to them in the long run. After all, who knows? The Syndicate had involved themselves in _one_ concert. Some of their members might show up for another. And _then_ the Gullwings would have Leblanc right where they wanted her.

It didn't happen, though. Before long, they were forced to take comfort only in Tobli's presence. He approached them, _quite_ excited, after much of the excitement had died down.

"Splendid!" he proclaimed. "Simply splendid!" He looked from Yuna to Rikku. "I am forever in your debt!"

"Don't mention it!" Rikku waved a cool hand.

But Tobli wouldn't hear of it. "Now I _must _pay you your profits!"

Yuna frowned. "Oh, you don't have-" She was rudely stopped short when Rikku hoped back a step and elbowed her. Looking indignantly at the Al Bhed, Yuna saw her wink, and remembered that she was a Gullwing now.

"I guess it's worth trying anything," Paine observed – more to get Tobli to pay them quickly than because she actually believed such words.

The little guy obliged, and then turned more specifically towards Paine. He remembered how best to appease _her_, and wanting to get on as equal footing with her as he was with Yuna and Rikku, he offered the sphere hunter exactly what he knew sphere hunters wanted. A sphere.

Paine accepted it and nodded her thanks. Now, even she was willing to believe her previous statement more readily.

"Yup-yup!" Tobli turned gleefully towards Yuna once again. "Now _that_ is an absolutely amicable arrangement. Everybody's happy!"

Rikku nodded. "Sure was! We're really looking forward to the show!" The others agreed, before continuing on their way.

**ooooooo**

Guadosalam was the next stop on their search for the Leblanc Syndicate. Upon arriving there, they were practically _greeted_ by those members they had been looking for so diligently – which wasn't _too_ much of a surprise, as Guadosalam had become the Syndicate's own turf. For it was _there_ that Chateau Leblanc was situated.

And it was _there_ that the Gullwings could not make too much of a ruckus. Sure, there were Syndicate members whose uniforms were just _waiting_ to be stolen, so that Yuna, Paine, and Rikku could infiltrate Syndicate headquarters and take back what had been taken from them. _But_, there were just too many of Leblanc's sphere hunters to risk taking out three without receiving unwanted attention. They knew before even _entering _the region that they would have to find their quarry elsewhere.

Not that they had to be _happy_ about it. As they made their way, somewhat resentfully, past Leblanc's very own estate, they shot several looks at several different members of the Syndicate – all of whom leered back suspiciously.

There was _definitely_ a little rivalry brewing between Leblanc's crew and the Gullwings. No doubt about _that_.

"She's got to be the most conceited woman in Spira!" Rikku suddenly spat out, coming to a stop not far from Leblanc's own front door. Caught off guard, Yuna and Paine both practically stumbled to a halt, and turned to look at the Al Bhed in surprise.

"Why's that?" Paine asked, and Rikku pointed vehemently at the manor.

"That's why!" she said with chiasmus. "I mean, what _right_ does she have to that building! It used to be Seymour's home! Who moves into a place that belonged to a guy like _that_ and renames it after herself?"

It was true, Yuna acknowledged, glancing over at the manor thoughtfully. Seymour _had_ once lived there… In fact, he had proposed to her there. And now… the place was Leblanc's home. It seemed somewhat sordid. It _hardly_ complimented Leblanc's character.

But Yuna found herself unable to express her thoughts on the matter to Rikku, for at that moment, one of Leblanc's goons had noticed them loitering there, and proved determined to put a stop to it.

He approached them arrogantly, with a few other goons watching his back from a distance. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the Dullwings."

The comment angered Rikku, but before she could object with an angry assault of her own, Paine grabbed her arm and held her back.

The goon made a face. "You're not getting in here, see?"

"But Leblanc broke into our airship," Yuna pointed out, trying to keep calm. The goon merely grinned, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Anything goes for the great Leblanc!"

"Well, there's gratitude for ya, Yunie," Rikku grumbled as Paine led her and the Summoner away from Guadosalam and towards the Thunder Plains.

"Gratitude?" the sphere hunter asked in cold surprise. "For what? For defeating Sin? I would have thought Yuna'd be the one feeling grateful to _them_."

"What?" Rikku glared at Paine skeptically, but Yuna cocked her head in interest. _That_ was certainly a new one!

"Think about it," Paine explained, glancing at the Summoner. "_You're_ the one who's always talking about putting your past behind you, and not being a Summoner anymore. If you ask me, Leblanc's Syndicate are the only ones who seem to be respecting that at all. Other than your own personal friends, of course."

"Hmm." Yuna had to admit Paine had a point. "Maybe. They treat me like they'd treat any other sphere hunter."

"So?" Rikku argued. "They should at least respect us enough to treat us like equals, and not like we're inferior or something."

"But don't they?" Paine asked. "They obviously think we're _something_ of a threat, if they're willing to take the time to try their luck stealing from us. Would they even bother with that if they didn't think of us as equals?"

"Hey?" Rikku playfully skipped towards the sphere hunter. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Paine merely smirked, and the three of them proceeded down the road until they reached the Thunder Plains.

As always, the plains seemed to stretch on forever under a thin blanket of mist and a thick cover of darkness – illuminated only by the constant flashes of lightning.

Rikku paused as they entered, and looked about herself thoughtfully. "It seems like it's been forever. Doesn't it, Yunie?"

Yuna smiled. "Since Sir Auron forced you to cross two years ago?" Paine glanced at the Al Bhed girl in amusement – she had heard this story before, and she _did_ find it funny.

"You know what I realized when I first started camping out here?" Rikku asked, and Yuna shook her head. The girl smiled sheepishly and looked down. "I realized that, somehow or other, Auron managed to stamp the fear out of my system. Coming back here after defeating Sin, and forcing myself to stay over a long period of time, wasn't half as difficult as I thought it would be."

"Maybe it wasn't that big of a deal anymore," Yuna suggested. "An awful lot happened after we left these plains. Fear of lightning does seem a tad bit trivial after squaring off against something like-" She stopped short before she could finish her sentence. Swallowing, she watched a few bolts dancing across the sky. It still hurt to talk about Sin.

Rikku figured that, and shook her head. "Nah. I give all the credit to Auron. The lightning traumatized me as a kid, and that kind of fear lasts. You really need a guy like him to quench it. Don't ya think, Paine?"

Both girls glanced at the sphere hunter, who just rolled her eyes. "_I_ think it's pointless to waste our time discussing this. Let's go."

"Sure thing," Yuna agreed, and the three of them started down the road that wound through the Thunder Plains, and was marked by several giant lightning rod towers along the way.

Some time later, they felt no closer to the other side of those plains than they had when they had first commenced. And as they passed by one of the towers, Rikku happened to glance in its direction. Purely accidental, she was sure, but the coincidence of it all still seemed remarkable.

For huddled next to that tower, leaning against its cylindrical wall, there was a shadowy figure of a man. Sitting in such a pile, it was near impossible to make out his size or shape, but to Rikku, there was something about him that was undeniably familiar. She immediately started towards him, catching Yuna and Paine off guard.

There was a flash of lightning, and as her two companions turned to catch up with her, Rikku got a clear view of the figure's face. She stopped short, feeling mildly surprised, and more than a little grudging. It didn't take her more than a second to work out what he was doing there, though. After all, who knew the old man better than his own daughter did?

"Uncle Cid?" Yuna frowned as she and Paine reached Rikku's side, and could see for themselves who the man was. "What are you doing out here?"

The Al Bhed leader looked up irritably at his niece. "What, ya blind?" He spoke rather harshly, which angered his daughter even more. "Can't ya see I'm trying to sulk?"

Yuna flinched, hurt by the man's severity. He didn't even seem to notice, but glanced at Rikku.

The two of them stared at each other for several moments, and even in the thick darkness of the Thunder Plains, they could read each other better than either of them would have liked.

Rikku scoffed. Though she was generally of a cheerful disposition, her father had lately developed a tendency of rubbing her the wrong way. She crossed her arms. "Come on, Yunie. Let's go."

Yuna turned to look at her cousin, but something flashed through her uncle's face that caught her attention. She looked back, and as another bolt crackled through the sky, she could see the hurt in Cid's eyes, even though he was not focusing on her. She hesitated. "But…"

"Leave him!" Rikku insisted, shooting her father one last glare before turning completely away and heading down the road towards the Travel Agency – which she could now see clearly in the distance.

Paine immediately set out after the Al Bhed girl, but Yuna continued to hesitate. She looked back at Cid, but he ignored her. Instead, he curled up his knee and rested his forehead against it. Realizing that he would not have her speak to him, the Summoner was left with no choice but to follow Rikku.

"I wonder what's wrong," she spoke carefully once she had caught up with her two friends. And Rikku was quick to fill in the blanks.

"It's Zanarkand," she said, quite indifferently. "He's all bent out of shape 'cause you told him off."

Paine scoffed. "That's mature."

"Tell me about it," Rikku grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"It's really a shame you haven't been getting along with your father," Yuna whispered, and there was an edge in her voice that caught Rikku's notice. She glanced at the Summoner, and for a moment felt a sting of regret. Once again, Yuna was in the right.

Fathers _did_ generally mean well… Sometimes they just… couldn't express their love. There was a lot of that in Spira.

They passed by the Agency, and as they walked, they could see the Celsius in the sky approaching them. Yuna paused to look up at the magnificent airship, and waited for it to land about a hundred yards away from them. Once it was safely on the ground, the three women rushed to cover the distance between it and them.

Buddy was waiting for them at the ship's entrance. "We've searched for Syndicate activity in both Bevelle and Macalania. There's just no sign of them! _Please_ tell me you guys had some better luck…"

"Nope!" Rikku shook her head with unnecessary enthusiasm.

"Macalania…" Yuna glanced down. "How are the woods looking today?"

Buddy sighed, for several reasons. "I'm sorry Yuna. The woods are still fading. According to a guy named Bayra, the spirits there that become the forest's butterflies have closed their minds. Tobli's assistant, the Hypello you guys helped out a few days ago, was there, preparing for the show… Bayra said it would be a brilliant finale for his doomed kind."

"Man," Rikku shook her head. "That's a real drag."

"Poetic, though," Paine observed.

"That doesn't make it better," Yuna whispered, tears stinging in her eyes again. She still couldn't let go. Not that easily, anyway.

"Come on," Buddy recommended. "Let's get out of here and make for the Calm Lands."

Yuna nodded, and the Gullwings headed aboard the airship once again.

**ooooooo**


	24. Trouble in the Calm Lands

**ooooooo**

They reached the Calm Lands early the next morning – but as exciting as it was, knowing that they would be in a place as alive and festive as those lands had become, none of the Gullwings were more excited by the prospect than Clasko and Calli. They waited eagerly by the ship's door, with their chocobo beside them, and she sensed her new friends' anticipation and found herself incapable of not sharing it with them.

As the Celsius touched down in those great, wide fields, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine found the chocobo-lovers doing everything they could to keep the wild bird at ease. Even still, she would fidget and toss her head defiantly every few seconds. And when the Al Bhed girl joined them, the chocobo shot her a look that could only be described of as challenging – though there was no room in that look for anyone to suspect ill nature or contempt. The bird liked Rikku… she liked competing with Rikku.

The Al Bhed girl smiled. "So. Still holding it all against me, are ya?"

The chocobo squawked – but in a playful way.

"She's just ready to be on the ground again," Calli assured Rikku. "Wild Chocobos just aren't meant for airships."

"No kidding," Yuna agreed, as Brother, from the cockpit, lowered the Celsius's wide door, allowing them to climb out into the Calm Lands.

It was a beautiful day there. And despite the clear morning sky, they could not see the surrounding hills on the far side of the fields – for they were just too far away. And the tents and booths that filled those lands with all kinds of color and activity – even this early in the morning – drew all attention away from the distance.

Even sacred Mt. Gagazet, watching over the not-so-silent lands, far from where Yuna stood, could barely draw notice anymore. And _that_ was what convinced Yuna ultimately that this was not how things should be. Mt. Gagazet should not have become so easy to overlook. It was just wrong… somehow.

But she seemed to be in a world of her own, for no one else commented on such things. Rikku and Paine were already in a heated discussion over whether or not their search for the Syndicate here could allow them a few hours' time to add to their collection of credits… and Clasko was no longer helping Calli at all with keeping the chocobo from racing forward, wings outstretched, across the fields and meadows, allowing her spirit to overflow with freedom. Instead, he seemed to encourage it, by doing the same thing himself, to a lesser scale.

He had rushed forward, throwing out his arms and twirling in several pirouettes with his head thrown back, allowing that freedom to sink into his heart and soul. After a moment of that, he looked hopefully back at Yuna. "This is it! Something tells me this is where I'll find my calling! I am in your debt, Lady Yuna."

Without giving her time to respond, he scurried back towards Calli and the chocobo, gracefully mounting himself on the back of the latter, and then helped the former up as well. Once again, the great bird let out a happy cry, as Clasko finally allowed it, and even _urged_ it, to race forward, faster than the wind. And as they went, Calli let out a joyful laugh.

"Aw," Rikku watched them go with a smile. "I think they're gonna do well for themselves."

Yuna nodded. "I certainly hope so."

"Now," Paine stepped forward severely. "Let's do well for _our_selves, and find Syndicate uniforms."

"Right!" Yuna firmly agreed, and looked pointedly at Rikku. "This is a search-and-find operation, young lady. No time for games."

Rikku pouted and crossed her arms. "Fine. Have it your way." She briskly started past the Summoner and into the great carnival that was now quickly becoming the Calm Lands' new legacy.

They searched for what seemed like forever without any luck. It seemed like it would be _impossible_ to find Leblanc's followers _anywhere_. Yuna could only wonder what they were doing… or what they were _scheming_. There was never an organization so difficult to find away from headquarters!

"It's because all we do is move, move, move!" Rikku charged. "If we just stay in one place for a little while, we might have better luck."

"You just want an excuse to play some arcade game," Paine replied.

Rikku shrugged sheepishly. "Am I _that_ easy to read?"

"It's not going to work," the sphere hunter promised.

Yuna heard the Al Bhed respond, but she was no longer attentive to her cousin's words. For, not far from where they were walking, she could see two certain little figures standing together in front of a booth a few aisles down. They weren't actually _little_, when compared to her, for they were about her height, but when compared to the _rest_ of their kind, they were pathetically scrawny and diminutive. Like… children.

"Rikku," Yuna interrupted, with an edge in her voice that immediately caught the Al Bhed and sphere hunter's notice. They both looked at her and she gestured towards the two that she did not look away from once.

They were Ronso. Pups when compared to Kimahri and Garik, but Ronso all the same. They dressed as Kimahri had on Yuna's pilgrimage across Spira, though everything else she could make out about them seemed different from her Guardian. They were young, and as one spoke to the other, he seemed so much more expressive than Kimahri ever had. More open. And adventurous.

"How cute," Rikku nearly squealed, and started forward.

"Rikku!" Yuna was after her in a beat, and Paine followed too, rolling her eyes.

The two Ronso sensed the Gullwings coming long before they reached them. Turning, they watched through piercing amber eyes as Yuna grabbed Rikku's hand and urged her to stop.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yuna whispered to her cousin, who glanced at her unworried.

"Just wanted to say hello," the Al Bhed shrugged.

"What if they don't appreciate ambushes?" Paine asked sensibly as she joined her companions. But before Rikku could reply, _they_ were the ones who were ultimately ambushed.

"High Summoner Yuna."

Yuna nearly jumped, and she looked round to see the two Ronso standing not three feet away from her. She, Rikku, and even Paine, were all momentarily disconcerted by the pups' incredible stealth.

Yep. They were most definitely Ronso.

It was the more expressive one who had addressed her. He bowed his head. "I am Lian Ronso. We have not met."

It only took Yuna a moment to relax. After all, _she_ was quite at ease with their kind. It often felt like Kimahri had been there beside her forever, always protecting her as she was raised on Besaid. Now that he was the elder of the Ronso, and always on the sacred mountain, Yuna often felt his absence, and missed him as much as she missed all the others whom she had lost.

She smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you, Lian. And this is?" She glanced at his companion.

"Ayde Ronso," Lian said, without giving his friend time to respond himself. Ayde didn't seem to mind, though, and actually looked grateful.

Yuna wasn't particularly surprised. Some Ronso just didn't like talking. "Hello, Ayde."

The pup grunted, and nodded his response.

"We are happy to meet you," Lian continued, speaking cordially with the Summoner. "Lian and Ayde hear many stories of Lady Yuna. Elder Kimahri tells of your journey together. But please, do not speak to elder of meeting Lian and Ayde today."

Yuna frowned. "Why not?"

"Oh!" Rikku jumped up and down in sudden remembrance. "You must be the two kids who left Mt. Gagazet, right?" Lian and Ayde glanced at each other, but did not answer. Rikku pressed her hands to her hips in a reprimanding way. "Kimahri's really worried!"

"Should we take them back?" Paine asked coolly. Once again Lian and Ayde looked at each other, and silently seemed to share information.

Yuna nodded. "Yeah."

Lian and Ayde seemed to turn as if they were one in spirit. They started off.

"Too late," Rikku figured.

"Hey!" Yuna started after them, but they broke into a run, and disappeared into the crowd in a matter of seconds. Yuna had no other option but to give up, though she did object with a disappointed huff.

"Wow," Rikku met her with an impressed whistle. "They can really move."

"You know," Paine quietly observed with crossed arms. "You really do have a way of stating the obvious."

Rikku quietly laughed, but in a sheepish, guilty way.

**ooooooo**

Meanwhile, Clasko was occupied on the eastern end of the Calm Lands. He had found a decent sized portion of land that was not in use by anyone, and was working with one of the carnival's managers to stake his claim there. They walked together around that small bit of territory, marking boundaries as the chocobo laid on the grass, soaking in the sun in absolute bliss.

She _likes_ it here, Clasko noticed. Everything about the Calm Lands proved better than the Mi'ihen High Road. It was _much_ more suited for chocobos, and the manager had assured the young breeder that some wild birds could still be seen roaming the fields every so often.

Clasko had never been more hopeful. _This_ was it! He knew it!

"About the cave," the manager was now saying – for the area was truly at the edge of the Calm Lands, where great hills and cliffs jutted up towards the sky, and where Clasko and Calli had discovered a sizeable grotto that might once have been in use by someone, but that was now abandoned. "Do you wish to keep that as well?"

"Of course I do!" Clasko assured him. "My partner's already inside it mapping it out! We couldn't have this plot of land without shelter, now could we?"

"Granted," the man allowed, narrowing his eyes as he spotted something behind the young entrepreneur.

Clasko frowned, and glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were walking towards them.

"What's going on?" the Summoner asked as she reached them.

Clasko turned towards her in excitement. "My dream! It's _finally_ coming true!"

Rikku jumped forward and embraced her friend in excitement. "Ooh! I'm so happy for you!" But then she frowned, and took a step away from the greatly flustered young man. "Which dream?"

"Uuh," Clasko shook his head. "I'm gonna start a chocobo ranch! And here, I'll have my own land. No one'll be able to bother me. I'll finally be able to raise chocobos in peace."

"Good for you, Clasko!" Rikku encouraged. "I _knew_ you'd be all right!" He grinned in satisfaction.

"Well then," the manager said, nodding his head. "Everything looks to be in order." He glanced at Clasko. "Find my booth at sunset, and we'll finish going over the transaction. By this time tomorrow, the place should be yours."

"Thank you," Clasko almost bowed at the man's feet in pure gratitude, but managed to restrain himself. The manager nodded, and made to leave, but Yuna suddenly caught sight of the cave.

Her heart leapt into her throat. "Hey!"

"Huh?" Everyone, the manager included, turned to look at the Summoner in astonishment. What was wrong?

Yuna turned angrily towards the manager. "You can't sell this land like that!"

"Of course I can!" the manager objected, pulling himself up straight and puffing out his chest. "It's perfectly legal!"

"Legal?" Yuna stared at him in shock. "It isn't _right_!"

"It's not my place to question matters of right or wrong," the manager replied coldly, gesturing to Clasko. "He is a sensible lad and may use his resources as he sees fit."

"He isn't native to the Calm Lands!" Yuna objected. "He doesn't know what this cave used to be!" Clasko felt a sense of foreboding building up in his chest as Yuna continued to speak. "He has a _chocobo_! How could you just _offer_ him this land without even a _warning_?"

"Yuna?" Paine glanced nervously at the cave. What was she talking about?

"Oh my gosh!" Rikku covered her mouth with her hands as she finally recognized the area herself. "This is the Monster Arena!"

"The what?" Clasko asked, color draining from his face.

Rikku jumped towards the manager and would have physically attacked him if Paine hadn't grabbed her and held her back. "You stupid, money-grubbing, self-centered old jerk! This place must be _crawling_ with fiends!"

"Dangerous fiends, too," Yuna added.

"It's not _crawling_ with fiends!" the man snapped back defensively. "About a year ago, when the arena fell apart, the fiends broke loose and abandoned the cave! Before we set up this carnival, we were forced to explore this cave very thoroughly to assess the situation."

"What did you find?" Paine asked dryly.

"There _were_ signs of _some_thing inhabiting the cave," the manager admitted. "But nothing showed itself. No one has seen _anything_ here that even _resembles_ a threat. There's no reason to believe your friend will have any trouble raising chocobos here, or be in any danger."

"But you didn't think it worth mentioning?" Clasko demanded, thoroughly disheartened.

"Oh, please!" the man threw up his arms in frustration. "It's no secret this cave was the Monster Arena! Anyone who knows _anything_ about the history of these lands knows it!"

"Well _I_ didn't!" Clasko argued.

"That's not _my_ fault!" the manager replied.

Paine glowered at him. "That is not an excuse for negligence among people who manage property. If this was Bevelle or Luca, you could be in serious trouble right now."

The man stared at her, his face turning red, as he angrily fumed.

**ooooooo**

Inside the cave, however, Calli had heard absolutely none of this. She was perfectly at ease, walking down winding corridors with a pen in hand as she made a map of the whole place.

Her excitement was growing with each passing minute. The more she saw of the cave, the more she was certain that it was suited to their needs. She and Clasko had already planned on turning the cave into something of a stable, and it looked like there were already large alcoves at every turn that could, with a little improvements, serve as wonderful stalls.

This place could really work!

For lighting, Calli was also in possession of an old fashioned lantern that Clasko had found in one of the booths back out amidst the festivities. The flame inside the glass burned brightly, and as Calli folded up her paper so that she could carry it in the same hand as her pen, she picked the lantern up off the ground and started forward once again, exploring the cave in fascination.

It shouldn't be _too_ hard getting electric lighting in this place, she thought. Or, rather, she _hoped_. Chocobos weren't always partial to darkness…

As Calli rounded another bend, she found herself standing in a _huge_ circular chamber. She stopped short in surprise, and held out the lantern higher in front of her to get a better look. The room was just too large for her to see all of it with just one flame, though it _did _remind her something of a stadium. The ground seemed to dip down a little, like a funnel, and at the bottom there was a terribly huge flat stretch of ground that _could_ have been some kind of stage.

Calli was awed. She wrapped her one arm – whose hand possessed the paper and pen – against her stomach as she started forward, walking downhill towards the bottom, keeping the lantern up high so that she could see as clearly as possible.

What was this place?

**ooooooo**

"You said you saw signs of something inhabiting the cave," Yuna presently addressed the very angry manager.

"Yes," he admitted. "But nothing more than that! It was a very long time ago, and I am _telling you_, there is _nothing_ inside that cave now!"

Yuna glanced at Paine and Rikku. "It could be possible that whatever it was frightened the other fiends out."

"That sounds likely," Paine allowed.

"But it could still be there," Rikku pointed out. "If it scared away all those other fiends, it would have a nice big cave all to its self. If _I_ was it, _I _certainly wouldn't wanna leave."

"We've searched that cave!" the manager insisted. "There was nothing there!"

"There are some fiends that, because they're so powerful, don't feel the need to be constantly alert and aware of their surroundings," Paine told them. "So they find dark places, like caves, to hibernate. And they waken only when they are hungry, and wish to feed."

**ooooooo**

Something rustled in the darkness.

Calli stopped short, her heart suddenly beating very loudly in her throat. She grew painfully tense, and looked around in alarm. The last time she had felt this way… a fiend had been nearby.

_That_ thought terrified her, and it became difficult to breathe. She struggled to keep her breath under control, and to keep it quiet, but quickly realized that she couldn't. And if there _was_ something in the room with her, it would by now most _definitely_ hear her.

_Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm._ Moving very slowly, Calli turned and walked back up hill towards the corridor she had come from. If she were careful, she might be able to get back outside…

She almost made it out of funnel shaped chamber, but got no farther.

For something to her left let out a soft hiss. It echoed around the room, and had been a _lot_ closer to her than she had anticipated. Nearly choking in fear, Calli ran. But she didn't make it far at all before something reached towards her, wrapped around her ankle, and pulled.

She screamed as she fell onto her hands and knees. She dropped everything – including the lantern… The flame went out, and darkness flooded around her, and she panicked. Reaching towards her ankle, she tried prying off what felt like a cold, slimy, thick piece of scaly rope. A tentacle…?

It suddenly jerked and let go of her, sending her tumbling downhill towards the center of the chamber. She screamed as she landed heavily at the bottom. Pushing up onto her knees, she frantically looked around. But she could see nothing in the darkness, and once again everything was silent. Whatever had attacked her now made no move and no sound.

But she could feel it watching her. And now, sitting in the middle of the room, _knowing_ that it was there and had the higher ground, she felt utterly blind and vulnerable.

**ooooooo**

"Calli's in there," Clasko whispered.

"What?" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all looked at the chocobo breeder in alarm. He nodded.

"She wanted to map the cave out," he said miserably. "She has no idea what could be in there with her."

"We have to get her out," Yuna cried fearfully.

Paine immediately started for the cave entrance.

Rikku turned towards Clasko. "Don't move. Keep our friend here in line." She shot the manager a pointed glare, and then followed Paine.

"Be careful!" Clasko urged, and Yuna nodded. She hurried after Paine and Rikku. Clasko nervously glanced at the chocobo, who looked up at him as if sensing his alarm.

**ooooooo**

Tears were stinging in Calli's eyes as she carefully got onto her feet. Blind, and slightly dizzy from her fall, she had no idea which direction led out. But she _knew_ she wouldn't get anywhere if she just sat still. Survival was all that mattered to her at that point, and she just _needed_ to escape!

All the ground around her was flat. She had rolled farther across the level part of the chamber than she had at first realized. Now she really _did_ feel lost. Chances were that she would not just happen to walk in the direction she had fallen, or find the rise that led towards the corridor out of the chamber. She started shaking, feeling more and more helpless with each passing minute.

She slowly started walking forward, but after several steps, the ground remained level. This wasn't the right way! She turned around and rushed in the other direction, but once again, the ground remained flat.

Her panic rose. She was more turned around than she had been before, and now had no idea what to do. Despair began filling up inside her.

There was another soft hiss from behind. This one lasted longer than the first had, and Calli had a terrible realization that the monster was savoring her helplessness.

She turned in a circle in screamed. "Clasko!"

Her voice echoed around her, and just _might_ have carried out of the chamber. Calli hoped to Yevon that it did.

There was another hiss. One of delight.

Calli stumbled away from it in fear. Either the fiend simply didn't care whether or not she was overheard, or her voice hadn't carried like she hoped it had, and she could scream as loudly as she liked for as long as she liked without answer. And something told her it was the latter.

Nevertheless, she continued to scream. Instinct took over, and it told her to run as far away from the fiend as she possibly could. She no longer cared about finding her way out. She just wanted to get away.

Another scaly tentacle shot out towards her and wrapped firmly around both her ankles, pulling them together. She screamed again as she landed painfully on the ground. But before she could do anything else, several other tentacles descended upon her. They wrapped around both her knees, and then around her waist.

Calli was now screaming and sobbing at the same time as she fought with all her strength to pry those tentacles off. But they were too strong, and she was struggling uselessly.

A few more tentacles caught hold of her wrists. They then jerked in such a way that Calli was savagely flipped over. She was pushed down so that she was laying on her stomach, and her wrists were pulled together behind her back.

Calli's voice was beginning to hurt from her screaming. She squirmed as much as she was able to, but a part of her realized it was no use.

One last tentacle touched her cheek. Calli tried moving away from it, but she had no where to go, and the tentacle suddenly stretched over her mouth. Calli's screams were cut short, as a terrible, disgusting taste crept onto her tongue. She choked on it, and never before had she been more certain that she was going to die.

**ooooooo**

The Gullwings sprinted through the cave as quickly as they could. Their way was illuminated by Yuna's Summoning staff – which she held firmly in her hand, having changed earlier into her White Mage dressphere.

It took them longer than they would have liked to navigate their way through the cave's corridors, which seemed to stretch on endlessly.

But the farther they went, the more certain they were that Calli was in danger. And they all feared they might be too late.

**ooooooo**

It seemed like she had been held captive there for hours. But it couldn't have been _that_ long. Calli must have been going out of her mind, she was so afraid! But she couldn't make a sound, and she could barely even move anymore. Her useless fighting and struggling had completely worn her out, and she felt certain that, if she hadn't already been face down on the ground, she would have collapsed by now.

The tentacles binding her down suddenly tightened. Calli winced, and they slowly began pulling her over the ground. Despair poured over her as she once again tried to struggle. But she was just so tired… The fiend was dragging her, probably towards _it_, and there was nothing she could do!

It just seemed to be taking its time. Calli clenched her eyes shut, but it was no darker than when her eyes had been open.

At least it _hadn't_ been.

Light suddenly poured into the chamber, and Calli opened her eyes to look up in sudden hope.

Yuna!

She was standing at the top of the funnel, looking down at Calli and the fiend in alarm. The staff she was holding offered light, and as Rikku and Paine entered the chamber behind her, they could see everything clearly.

The monster holding Calli hissed, for the first time loudly, and in rage. It obviously didn't appreciate the interruption or the brightness of Yuna's staff.

It was a monstrous size, even for a fiend. What it was, was an _enormous_ reptile that looked like a mix between an boa constrictor and an octopus with at least thirty tentacles protruding from its scaly hide. At least half a dozen of those tentacles were wrapped around Calli, and even now they continued pulling her towards its massive body.

"Oh God," Yuna whispered in alarm. This thing made the chocobo-eater nothing but a joke! No wonder it had frightened away all the other fiends. It was like nothing she had ever seen before!

"This is what happens when you breed fiends," Rikku grumbled, remembering the Monster Arena's most _dangerous_ undertaking. It had only been a matter of time before something like _this_ resulted. And now Calli might be the one to pay for it.

Rikku jumped forward, immediately touching one of her dresspheres so that, in a swirl of light, she was transformed into her Black Mage Garment. Without missing a beat, she shot a wave of lightning straight at the fiend. The elemental attack, however, didn't seem to have any effect on the fiend one way or another.

"Uh-oh," Rikku gulped as the fiend let out an irritated screech, baring four long fangs as it did so.

Its body shot upwards. Calli would have screamed had there not been a tentacle keeping her quiet. And then, several of the monster's free tentacles flew lethally towards Rikku.

Paine stepped forward with her sword drawn, and savagely batted away as many of those tentacles as she could – but to little effect. Her sword hurt the monster about as much as the lightning had.

Rikku was forced to resort to dodging. She evaded those tentacles as best she could, moving as lithely and as quickly as humanly possible. In the course of all that, she had the good sense to touch another one of her dresspheres. Again, ribbons of light swirled around her, until she was fighting the fiend in an altogether new Garment.

It was her _own_ Songstress Garment. Shinra had made one for each of them, though Rikku's and Paine's weren't quite like Yuna's. Rikku's was purple and skimpy, and it allowed her to use non-elemental spells against fiends.

She unleashed one such spell, hoping to slow the monster down. It worked, but not by much. The tentacles still flew at them with a speed that Rikku and Paine found only a _little_ bit easier to avoid.

"Ooh," Yuna started forward in alarm. "Let me help!"

"No!" Paine barely even looked at the Summoner. "Stay back, Yuna, and keep your staff lit! If you change garments, we won't be able to see a thing!"

Yuna stopped, forcing herself to listen to Paine, for the sphere hunter was right. But that didn't mean she had to like it. She had forgotten what it felt like to stand back and watch as others fought for her. She had forgotten how useless having Guardians often made her feel. It actually _increased_ her fear, for she couldn't lose herself in the fight. She hated feeling like that.

Rikku changed garments once again, which only made Yuna feel _that_ much more useless, because the garment Rikku now wore was a Gunner Garment. Dressed in brown clothes, the Al Bhed girl held two guns in her hands. She shot several rounds at the monster, as she jumped, dived, and tumbled around its tentacles. And to her absolute astonishment, the bullets actually caused the fiend to flinch!

"It's not enough!" Paine shouted, for she, too, had seen the monster's reaction to Rikku's latest attack.

"It will be," the girl replied, as a new wave of power and determination swept through her. She reached for one last dressphere, the like of which she had not used before, and which could _not_ be used by anyone else. _This_ sphere had been designed specifically for her, and just might be what she needed to destroy this fiend once and for all.

As soon as she activated it, pandemonium seemed to pursue. It was a good thing the chamber was so enormous, for it would need to be to fit the weapon that came with her new garment.

Streams of light swept around her like a violently raging river. She found herself clad in lavender clothes – but the torrential radiance summoned forth by the sphere did not end there. Rikku felt the light lifting her up off the ground, and a moment later, that light solidified.

It became a piece of machina. Machina Maw, the sphere was called, and the weapon that now bore the Al Bhed was like a golden monster itself. But an elegant one, and completely made for Rikku.

She maneuvered it towards the fiend, who jerked away in alarm. It must have sensed the machina's power. And it had good reason to be afraid.

Rikku sent several shockwaves firing at the fiend, as the left and right sides of her machina simultaneously blasted homing rays as well. The result was chaotic. The noise made could be heard outside the cave and across the Calm Lands. The fiend was propelled backwards, even _as_ its body was ripped literally apart.

The chamber itself seemed to fill up with shockwaves of its own, and Yuna and Paine both struggled to remain on their feet as dust rose up like a cloud meant to suffocate them. A good ten minutes seemed to pass before all was still again. And even then it was hard to see anything through the dust, despite Yuna's illuminant staff.

Nevertheless, she started forward, coughing a little, as she looked for Calli. Meanwhile, Rikku changed out of that particular garment and glanced at Paine.

"Did I overdo it?" she asked.

Paine shook her head. "I don't think that's possible." They both waited as the dust settled, which it did a few minutes later, and then they could see Yuna pulling a terrified Calli free from the remaining tentacles. The sphere hunter and the Al Bhed both rushed forward to help.

Even after they freed Calli, the poor girl looked out of her mind in sheer terror. That was twice in less than a week that a fiend had tried to kill her! It wasn't normal.

Nevertheless, once Yuna used her white magic to heal the girl, she recovered quickly, and wasted no time to thank the Summoner and her friends. In fact, she did _much_ more than just 'thank'. 'Thank' was too much of an understatement. She practically _worshiped_ the three Gullwings now, and was ready to devote her life to them.

"It'll be okay, Calli," Yuna promised as the four of them left that cave together. "There aren't anymore fiends in there. That was the last one."

"Are you sure?" Calli asked.

Yuna nodded. "I'm certain." She wasn't sure how exactly, but walking out of that chamber, she just _knew_ she was right. She could feel it, like another sense. The fiends were gone from that cave for good now, and it would one day make an incredible chocobo ranch.

She told Clasko that much, before she, Rikku, and Paine continued on their journey.

**ooooooo**


	25. Rest for Zanarkand

**Warning:** _This_ chapter is a little bit more mature than the previous ones have been, so the rate's gone up to an M, possibly an MA just for some of the content. I wouldn't call it _too_ bad, but different people might have different opinions from me.

_Please_ keep reviewing! I need all the encouragement, or all the advice, that you guys can give me!

**ooooooo**

Ashamed of their failure to herd the two Ronso children back to their home, and unwilling to face Kimahri's disappointment, not to mention apprehensive of what the results might have been to _his_ side of the bargain they had made, frightened that he might have failed as well, and not sure she even _wanted_ to know quite yet, Yuna thought it best they not stop on Mt. Gagazet. None of the others objected, so they flew over the mountain, looking for Syndicate members from the sky, until they reached Zanarkand. Brother landed the ship in the same courtyard he had the last time they had been there, and Yuna, Rikku, and Paine climbed out.

Yuna certainly didn't want to stay for long. She remembered all too well the hopelessness she had felt the last time she had been there, and she could feel it rushing back in only a matter of minutes.

It certainly didn't help that there were still tourists in the city ruins. There were easily, at _least_, a hundred of them, Yuna figured, as she, Rikku, and Paine walked dejectedly across several streets, keeping their eyes open for their rivals.

Add a few thousand more, Yuna thought silently to herself, and this place might actually be as populated as it was a thousand years ago. Not that it would change anything. Zanarkand would still be a lost city, but without the reverence it had once possessed.

_This is like sacrilege. _Tears stung in her eyes as Paine led them away from the more crowded roads into a few of the more neglected ones. They navigated their way towards the dome as best they could along the city's broken back streets.

And of course, Rikku was apt to complain. "What's pop thinking? I would have thought that if he's gone to the Thunder Plains, he would have at _least_ broken up his business here! That's _horrible_ management!"

Yuna didn't deign a reply, and Paine certainly wasn't in the mood to speak. The three of them continued down the streets in silence – though Yuna wasn't sure if that really was to her benefit. The quieter they were as they walked, the more certain she was of hearing… phantoms?... from a time long ago.

Dimly, Yuna thought of that sphere they had found in the ruins above Mt. Gagazet. The one that had been of Zanarkand. A man had spoken of receiving a ticket, and shaking someone's hand. Yuna wondered about that. What used to go on in the resplendent city of one thousand years past? She glanced at the fallen walls of one building to her left and wondered: what were _its_ memories?

Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the sudden appearance of two little monkeys. Yuna stopped short in surprise, and sensed similar reactions from Rikku and Paine, as the two monkeys seemed to dance and chase each other across the street. They were just like the little white creatures that the three women had seen in the Cloister of Trials the _last_ time they had visited the ruins.

What was going on?

Yuna glanced at her two companions, but they were most definitely as baffled by the whole situation as she was.

Without speaking, they started after the two monkeys almost at a run, eager to see where the creatures went and what they might be up to.

It seemed like an eternity passed while they followed the monkeys. And along the way, they found that there were many other such creatures, loitering under or on top of rubble, dancing inside buildings or along the road… just infesting the ruins!

But… from _them_… Yuna felt peace. Seeing the monkeys inhabiting the city was not like watching tourists explore it. The tourists were like a congestion. The monkeys were like… a reminder that this city was no longer _meant_ for people. Zanarkand was a ruin, fit only to be the dwelling place of little white rodent-like chimps… and forgotten memories.

Every day since the Eternal Calm had begun, Zanarkand had fallen more and more apart. And suddenly Yuna thought she knew _why_. When Spira had been in its spiral, the city had been kept awake by Yunalesca and the pyreflies. It was still a dead city, but it could not find rest. Like the Fayth who had preserved it, Zanarkand wanted relief… and so it was crumbling more and more with each passing day… the way that ruins ultimately were supposed to. It was sad… and to be mourned… but in a way, it was bittersweet.

However, the city could not find that rest with the tourists there. They were trying to keep Zanarkand alive with their visits… but were only keeping it from repose. _That_ was why it was wrong for them to be there. And that was why the monkeys _should_ be there. At least that was why in Yuna's mind.

Eventually, they came to a street where a man was standing, staring at the monkeys that surrounded him dejectedly. _He_ certainly wasn't of the same opinion. Sensing the women behind him, he turned, and they recognized Isaaru.

He didn't look very happy, but spoke cordially enough. "Well hello."

Rikku wasn't in any more of a good mood, and _she_ wasn't civil enough to pretend any differently. "How's work?" Her tone was blunt and impudent.

Isaaru sighed and looked away. "It's a never ending struggle." He glared pointedly at the white creatures that surrounded him. "As you can see, the monkeys are multiplying. They were harassing the tourists. Already access to the Temple is practically impossible! Pretty soon, we might have to close down."

"Humph," Rikku crossed her arms haughtily. "Well, at least that'll teach pop a lesson!"

Isaaru stared at her with a frown. "Actually… Cid made it clear that he was done here. After you last visit, he dropped everything and took off, without any intention of coming back. I don't know where he went."

Rikku looked at him, and when she saw the truth in his eyes, she felt a little guilty. She _knew_ her father was sulking in the Thunder Plains, but she hadn't _actually_ expected him to drop off the business. Had she judged him too early? In the way of children, did her father have something in common with the legendary Sir Jecht? Feeling almost ashamed of herself, Rikku looked down.

"Well," Isaaru sighed. "I really must be off." He turned to Yuna. "Forgive me, my Lady, for not having more time to spend with you. As I have said, with Cid gone, all responsibilities lie on me, and something _must_ be done about these monkeys."

"It was good to see you again, Lord Isaaru," Yuna said quietly, and the man hurried away. She watched him go, and whispered under her breath. "You do what you have to, and I'll do what I must."

Paine frowned. "Yuna?"

The Summoner turned around in a wide circle, taking in all the monkeys around her. She actually smiled… mischievously. "Now you behave yourselves."

Paine's frown deepened. "Yuna?"

Rikku walked towards a few of the monkeys. The scurried away slightly, but when she knelt down and cocked her head at them, they curiously edged back. She glanced at Yuna. "Hey, if there were more of these little guys, you think the place would empty out?"

Paine glanced between her two friends and suddenly understood. She smirked. "It just might."

Without a word, Yuna touched one of her dresspheres. The ribbons of light that then burst around her startled many of the monkeys, and they jumped back several yards. But once the light faded, they eagerly crept back to see what had happened.

Yuna was standing, dressed in a somewhat industrial, leather brown garment that even included a brown cap on her head beneath a pair a goggles! She held a large gun – though she had no intention of actually _hurting_ anything it – and wore a belt around her waist that carried _several_ vials and pouches of _several_ different substances.

She grinned at Rikku and Paine. "It's my Alchemist Garment."

Rikku covered her mouth with both her hands. "You look ridiculous."

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot." She walked past her friends so that she was standing by herself in the midst of _countless_ monkeys, all of whom were _extremely_ curious. She concentrated, and allowed the powers of the alchemist within that dressphere to take hold of her. Through those powers, she would find performing such a science relatively natural… and she did.

Without too much thought, she managed to pick out several of the potions that she carried on her person, and she mixed them together into her weapon. With that done, she aimed the gun into the air and fired. Instantly, the mixed brew she had made rained down over all the monkeys in its path. It almost seemed to glitter, and the creatures watched it, practically tantalized.

And then that tantalization grew, and almost immediately, monkeys were turning towards each other and jumping at each other. Yuna quickly turned away from them, so as not to intrude, and walked back in smug satisfaction towards her friends.

Paine was shaking her head and Rikku standing in openmouthed incredulity. She stumbled towards Yuna. "What did you do?"

The Summoner grinned. "Spread a little pheromones." There was mischief in her voice.

Rikku tilted her head. "Is that a good idea?"

"What did you think she was going to do?" Paine demanded, and the Al Bhed was at a loss to respond.

"Don't worry, Rikku," Yuna assured her as she changed back into her regular garment. "It'll wear off in a few hours."

"Yeah," the girl allowed. "But not before those monkeys give Isaaru a _real_ monkey problem!"

"I know," Yuna said cheerfully. The three of them started walking back towards the airship. Yuna looked at the ruins around her, and could see even the monkeys who had _not_ been sprayed with pheromones seemed to sense the mood of their kind, and were growing more and more fervent with their friends.

Maybe now, Zanarkand could find some rest from the people of Spira. And after all, Yuna would rather have the city overrun by monkeys than by the masses.

After some time, they found their way back to the Celsius. And as Yuna climbed on board, she hoped that this would be the last time she ever saw Zanarkand so packed with people who just _couldn't_ bring themselves to understand.

**ooooooo**


	26. Results, At Last

**Warning:** This chapter might have to be rated M for content as well… Enjoy!

**ooooooo**

It was night outside the airship.

Brother had brought it down to settle in the Calm Lands, and now pretty much everyone on board was asleep. Everyone but Paine.

They had had a long week, to be sure, and with very little – if anything – to show for it. The sphere hunter sometimes wondered, as she did now, if they were even _getting_ anywhere, with _any_ of their various goals, or if they weren't all on some several wild goose chases. They certainly weren't having much luck with the Leblanc Syndicate, now were they? It was a wearisome, unending journey that she sometimes wished she could just abandon!

Was there anything wrong with trying to move on? Trying to forget the past? Trying to just let go and live out the rest of her life in peace?

Probably, considering any attempt to do such a thing would ultimately end up driving her mad.

Besides, as much as she loathed admitting it – fearing such sensibility – she _was_ having fun… Yuna and Rikku were good friends. And _their_ journey wasn't any less frustrating than her own. If they could bear it, Paine felt she must, too.

Quietly, she climbed out of the loft, taking her two crimson spheres with her. She had already seen the first one, that night, back in the desert. It hadn't been a very comforting record, and she knew that thisnew one wouldn't be any different.

_Had Nooj seen it?_ She felt an involuntary shiver at the thought. _He_ had given it to her at the Den of Woe, so it made sense that he had watched it beforehand. Still… even with someone as close to her as him… it felt like an invasion into her own privacy.

_Don't be an idiot,_ she harshly scolded herself. Being a recorder was all about giving your recordings to other people to watch! They couldn't be private! Recorders were supposed to stay indifferent. Unattached. They weren't supposed to feel this kind of regard…

These crimson spheres were the one thing they were _not_ supposed to be: Personal.

Paine crept away from the cabin where most of the Gullwings were sleeping, and edged towards the cockpit. She figured Shinra was the _one_ other person still awake, for the kid hardly ever slept; he enjoyed working his inventions in the quiet hours of the night far too much. So she avoided that end of the airship, and ultimately ended up by herself in the engine room.

It was there that she chose to play the recently required sphere.

The image that sprang to life was immediately familiar to her. It was of bodies. Countless, massacred bodies that were now being recorded with an indifference that could only be explained by the fact that Paine had set up these spheres to record mechanically, when she hadn't been there to document them manually. She _would_ have returned to recover them later, but… _that_ hadn't been an option.

"Let's see." Ormi's harsh, cruel voice made Paine flinch inwardly, though she made no outward sign of that start – for even when she had no audience, she couldn't help but mask her inner emotions. "Total survivors of the final Crimson Squad selection exercise: zero, zilch, and zippal. Job done."

"Oh… you pinhead. Did you even count?"

Had Paine played the wrong sphere? She had already seen this one! She didn't ordinarily mix up things like this, even in the utter darkness. She must have been losing her mind…

Or maybe not.

She remembered how the sphere she had watched in the desert had seemed to just cut off from static at that point. _This_ sphere, however, didn't end quite yet, but continued on with the same abruptness that her first sphere had dissipated.

"Look," Logos's voice continued observantly. "There are bodies missing." Paine felt her heartbeat quicken exponentially. "There should be three more candidates and their recorder."

She bit her lip. He couldn't have _possibly_ been talking about anything _but_ her, Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal!

"Uh," Ormi sounded as thick as ever. "Your point?"

"Three plus one make _how_ _many_?" Logos was growing impatient. "Four still live. Fix it."

So it had _always_ been Yevon's intention to destroy the Crimson Squad candidates. Paine couldn't understand _why_. But back then, Logos and Ormi had been in the service of Maester Kinoc, and if _they_ had been out to kill the candidates, than it had been because of Kinoc's command.

Ormi obviously wasn't happy with Logos's order. He was grumbling. "Figures."

_"Did you say something?"_ The voice was harsh, new, and cold. Paine didn't like the sound of it, and neither did Logos.

"No, sir!" he quickly assured his superior. "Pay him no mind."

The sphere dissolved then, and Paine was left in complete darkness.

**ooooooo**

The next morning, the Gullwings met in the cockpit to decide on what to do, where to go. They had pretty much flown over the entirety of the known world, and couldn't quite imagine where to find Syndicate goons with uniforms to spare that they hadn't looked in already.

But the Syndicate was on Paine's mind for another reason at that point. Still distressed by her little revelation the night before, she couldn't help but wonder at Leblanc's two chief followers. Logos and Ormi…

They had once been a part of Yevon. They had once tried to kill her and her closest friends – and _had_ helped eliminate countless other Crimson Squad candidates. But no one would ever suspect them of that _now_. _Now_, they worked with Leblanc – who undoubtedly supported the Youth League – which was literally controlled by Nooj! That was quite a change in loyalty, to be sure… What was the cause of it?

Paine _longed_ to discuss some of her turmoil with _some_one. But she certainly wasn't about to try explaining her history to any of the Gullwings. There was just too much! It was just too hard…

There were only three people she felt like she could talk to about it. And those were the three who had lived it with her.

But Nooj was out of the question.

And Baralai was almost just as bad. Sure, Paine had no doubt that he would welcome her into his home, and treat her the same as always… But he was Praetor of New Yevon. Paine wasn't sure she _wanted_ to talk to a _Praetor_.

So that left Gippal.

The last time she had seen him, he had respected her want for anonymity. But he had _also_ expressed regret in so doing. He had wanted to talk with her as much as she now wanted to talk to him.

You can always rely on Gippal… Out of all her three friends, Gippal was the youngest, and often felt like a brother to any of them. And he was always in-between. At the start of their acquaintance, Nooj and Baralai had, on more than one occasion, butted heads, but Gippal had always somehow managed to keep them from reaching the point where they wanted to kill each other. And even now, he didn't choose sides as the rest of Spira divided themselves up under one or the other…

Paine felt she could talk to Gippal. In fact, he might have the best idea of what she was feeling right now anyway. And even though he hadn't been there the last time the Gullwings had been in Djose, she felt that there was a possibility he could have returned since.

And if he hadn't… well, Paine would just have to satisfy herself with the thought that she just wasn't meant to see him again.

Nevertheless, she turned and looked at each of her friends and companions thoughtfully. "Let's try Djose again."

Neither Yuna nor Rikku objected.

**ooooooo**

Unfortunately, as it turned out, Gippal had not yet returned to the Djose Temple, and as the Gullwings made their way around the rocky town, Paine was obliged to keep her inner turmoil to herself.

Of course, Rikku didn't help. The Al Bhed had been in constant complaint ever since they started out for the town – she didn't object to going, or anything, but she wanted to make it absolutely clear that, under no circumstances, did she herself want to associate with Gippal should he be there. And yet, when she found out that he _wasn't_ there, she had seemed more than just a little disappointed.

_Why should Rikku be capable of showing such contradiction when I can't even express my most candid of thoughts?_ Paine envied the girl, and wished she could have that kind of relationship with Gippal again. She couldn't even bring herself to acknowledge that he was the reason she had wanted to return to Djose! And instead of showing her own discouragement in the absence of the Machine Faction, she had to, instead, satisfy herself with showing pleasure in the presence of a female member of the Leblanc Syndicate.

The Gullwings had noticed her shortly after discovering Djose's want of Al Bhed men. As they walked out of the Temple, she was standing awkwardly near a column that spat lightning at its tip, nervously speaking into a transmitter. And as for her uniform… it was _exactly_ what the Gullwings needed! It consisted of a pink and purple skintight jumpsuit that showed off the woman's body in a most flattering way, black high heels, and a headdress that boasted both of a violet piece of cloth that draped down over the back and sides of her head _and_ a small white mask the style of which people often wore at masquerades. It was kind of an overdramatic costume… but certainly to Leblanc's taste, and if it got the Gullwings inside her manor, _they_ certainly weren't going to complain about it.

Presently, Yuna glanced gleefully at Rikku and Paine. "It's about time, don't you think?"

"Ya!" Rikku grew back into her exuberant self again and winked at Paine. "We should follow your leadership more often!"

The sphere hunter just turned her head in an indifferent way, and the three of them edged closer to the still unsuspecting goon.

She sounded flustered as she spoke into the little long-range communicator in her hand. "Okay, okay. Where are you right now?"

"The Oasis," was the reply of another female – though she sounded slightly mechanical through the static of the transmitter. Paine glanced at Rikku, whose eyes had lit up in recognition. The Oasis was in the Bikanel Desert, and both of the two women had been there on multiple occasions. "But don't head out here until you find that sphere!"

"I know," the goon in front of them whined. "Or the boss'll be _furious_… We might even… get the _heel_…"

"Stop complaining!" the voice over the transmitter ordered. "And get to work! As soon as you find the sphere, get out here and back me up, okay?"

"Right," the woman sighed dejectedly and lowered her receiver. And as she placed it back on her belt, a brilliant idea struck Yuna.

"I have a plan," she whispered to Paine and Rikku. They both glanced at her curiously, but she had no time to explain it to either of them. Instead, she lightly stepped towards Leblanc's goon.

"Excuse me," she said in a rather cheerful tone as she pulled a sphere free from her own belt.

The goon whipped around in alarmed surprise when she heard Yuna – and then in dread when she saw the sphere that Yuna was holding.

The Gullwing grinned. "I couldn't help but overhear you're looking for a sphere here in Djose. Looks like I beat you to it."

Rikku nearly laughed out loud and Paine looked at her with a smirk. "Someone's turning Yuna into a bad girl."

The Al Bhed looked at her inquisitively. "Who?" But Paine didn't bother to answer as the goon took several steps towards Yuna.

"Give that to me now!"

Yuna backed up and shook her head. "Oh, I don't think so."

"I'm not kidding!" the goon angrily insisted. "That sphere belongs to the great Leblanc! I demand-"

"You want it?" Yuna interrupted challengingly, placing the sphere back in its place. "Come get it."

The goon immediately dove towards her, but Yuna backed away just as quickly. She turned, and then ran straight for the Temple. And as for Rikku and Paine… they merely backed out of the way as the goon shot past them after the Gullwing.

Yuna's plan worked perfectly. The goon didn't stop chasing her, even as she ran up the stairs and into the Temple. Several _other_ people stopped _their_ activities to watch in surprise, but no one interfered as Yuna acted in such a way that _probably_ would have excommunicated her two years ago.

There were several side rooms inside every Temple – and Yuna hoped that the one she was randomly shooting towards would prove to be empty. The door was closed, but she didn't fear some private conference was taking place behind it, for those were things of the past. She had to stop for a moment to pull the heavy door open, but it only slowed her down for a second. Leblanc's goon was directly behind her now, which was actually a good thing.

As soon as Yuna was inside, she drew a gun from its holster, spun around, and aimed it directly at the goon's head.

She stopped short in surprise and alarm, and then carefully held up her hands in surrender.

Yuna smirked. "Good choice. Now. Close the door behind you."

Slowly, the Gullwing's prisoner did as she was told. And things only continued to run smoothly from there.

"Now," Yuna said, speaking rather cheerfully. "Take off your clothes."

She could not have had a more surprised captive in all the world.

**ooooooo**

Rikku and Paine were waiting quietly together outside the Temple for Yuna to return. And when she did, she came slinging a single strapped bag over her shoulder with a wide smile on her face.

"Did it work?" Rikku demanded eagerly, jumping towards her cousin.

"Like a charm!" Yuna assured them, but then she hesitated. "The only thing I'd change is how I went about claiming her uniform. I think I offended her."

"Forget it," Rikku suggested.

Paine held up a new sphere. "We happened upon this while you were handling the goon. Looks like what _she_ was wanting."

"This day's going by very well, isn't it?" Yuna asked happily. Rikku was quick to agree, but Paine outwardly remained as impassive as ever.

_Inwardly_, she still wished Gippal had been there, too.

But she had no time to reflect on _that_, for they were suddenly joined by a heavy set man who looked not just ready, but _eager_ for a confrontation.

"So _you_ all found it!"

"Huh?" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all glanced around to find themselves staring face to face at Ormi.

He grinned maliciously. "Sorry for the trouble. I appreciate you finding it for us, though." He edged towards Paine, who slid the sphere to Rikku. The Al Bhed girl clutched it close to her breast and backed away.

"What?" Ormi glared at each of the two. "You're not giving it back?" Rikku nodded a confirmation, and the man positively glowered. "The nerve."

"The Gullwings?" Logos suddenly appeared behind his companion.

Ormi hardly gave his friend a second look, but immediately addressed him. "These meanies won't give up the sphere!"

"So then we take it back," Logos said pointedly, glaring at each of the three girls threateningly.

"Ah!" Ormi seemed to like that idea.

Paine and Yuna immediately braced themselves for the inevitable fight – but Rikku hardly seemed to care about it one way or the other.

"On that note!" Logos said, pulling free one of his own pistols. "Take it back…"

But before he could attack any further, and before Paine or Yuna could retaliate in any way possible, the Al Bhed girl calmly touched one of her spheres.

Swirls and ribbons of light erupted around her, and when they faded, she was once again dressed in the purple Songstress garment that Shinra had designed for _her_. Logos and Ormi both hesitated, looking at Rikku rather suspiciously.

And she wasted no time whatsoever with suspenseful, dramatic effects. Instead, she _immediately_ set about casting a non-elemental spell against the two men. In a matter of seconds, it seemed, the both of them dropped heavily onto the ground – deeply and completely asleep.

Yuna and Paine both stared at their two snoozing opponents in shock as Rikku transformed back out of that garment and back into her regular one.

"Well," Yuna said after a beat. "_That_ almost wasn't any fun at all."

"I know," Rikku admitted, jumping sheepishly towards her cousin. "But there _is_ another Syndicate uniform just _waiting_ to be stolen in Bikanel! And I'm looking forward to getting it!"

Yuna stared at her knowingly. "You just want a chance to visit your home again."

Rikku grinned. "Well, there's that, too."

Yuna nodded. "Okay then. Let's go to Bikanel!"

And so they started forward – leaving behind dozens of amazed Djose citizens, two sleeping buffoons, and one distressed goon too ashamed to walk out of the room she had been left in. The Gullwings were either completely unaware of, or simply didn't care about, the definite notoriety they were quickly spreading around the world.

**ooooooo**


	27. The Oasis

**ooooooo**

It didn't take long at all for the Celsius to reach Bikanel Island, and Rikku could barely sit still, she was so eager to revisit her home. It was the same story with Brother, who was finding _this_ trip towards the desert a _lot_ more pleasant than he had found their last one, when Rikku had been angry over her encounter with Gippal.

Not that she wasn't _somewhat_ angry now… The thought that members of Leblanc's Syndicate were running around in _her_ desert, probably up to _no_ good, greatly offended her, but she and Brother managed to bask in righteous anger this time together.

Brother touched the airship down near the water at the desert's edge, as he had last time, and glanced at Rikku, noting the urgency in her face and her voice.

"We don't have time for you to just drop us off _here_!" she argued. "We have to get to the Oasis!"

"Roger!" Brother nodded firmly. "That is why I already send for easier transportation!"

"Huh?" Rikku walked over to the windshield and glanced outside. Sure enough, she could see her old friend, Picket, waiting half-asleep for them aboard his hover. She rolled her eyes. "Great."

"Get going, get going!" Brother advocated, practically pushing Rikku towards the door.

Yuna smiled – still wearing the bag strapped over her shoulder which carried the one uniform they had claimed in Djose – while Paine shook her head. They followed the Al Bhed girl outside, where they quietly approached their sleeping chauffeur.

"Dnoehk du vnekrdah sa?" Picket suddenly opened a single eye, and glanced at the three women suspiciously.

Rikku let out an exasperated "Please!" And as the three of them buckled themselves into the hover, she glared at him pointedly. "It's not like we don't have better things to do with our time than trying to frighten people!"

Picket shrugged. "Well you never know." He looked up at the airship. "Just you three, then?"

Rikku nodded. "Yep. We're headed to the Oasis!"

The Al Bhed frowned and looked at the girl curiously as his hands effortlessly set about the task of bringing the hover back to life. "The Oasis?" There was an edge to his voice that caught Rikku, Yuna, and Paine's attention. They stared at him anxiously.

"That's right," Rikku carefully nodded, and Picket shrugged.

"Well, I guess your wish is my command," he said nonchalantly. The hover started then, and Picket began driving it quickly over the desert sand. "But it might interest you to know that Nhadala's been very wary of the place, lately. Strange activity's been going on up there, and she's been very careful about who she sends that way."

"What kind of activity?" Paine asked quietly.

Picket shrugged. "Suspicious signals. Weird folk hanging around. Nothing _that_ alarming. If you ask me, Nhadala's overreacting, which she actually _does_ do from time to time. I doubt it's anything the Al Bhed couldn't handle. She's just anxious because someone saw these two guys who used to work for Yevon hanging around. They haven't been here in two years, and the sighting _apparently_ was rather distressing."

"Don't you _know_?" Rikku demanded, almost accusingly.

Picket shrugged again. "Wasn't paying that much attention."

Rikku sighed and grumbled sarcastically to herself. "Uv luinca hud." Of course not.

"Do you know who they were?" Yuna asked the man.

He thought for a moment, biting his lip, and shook his head. "Not personally, and I don't even think I heard their names. All I know is, they used to help supervise the training of the Crimson Squad candidates."

Paine started, and stared at Picket in alarm. "What did you say?"

Yuna and Rikku glanced at each other curiously. _The Crimson Squad?_

Picket nodded, oblivious to Paine's sudden anxiety, and elaborated. "You might not remember this, Rikku, but two years ago, Bikanel was the training ground for an elite fighting force that Bevelle was putting together in order to battle Sin. It would have been called the Crimson Squad."

Rikku's eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, oh, yeah! I _do_ remember that! Gippal wanted to join, because they wouldn't let him become a Crusader!"

Paine, forcing herself to calm down and remain indifferent, glanced at the Al Bhed girl. She made herself smirk, in order to better hide her disorientation. "You _know_ that?" The edge she somehow succeeded in putting into her voice caused Rikku's face to turn a bright pink. She quickly turned her head to conceal the blush.

But Yuna wasn't amused. She stared at Picket imploringly. "I've never heard of it. _Bevelle_ put together an organization on _Bikanel Island_, and actually _allowed_ an Al Bhed to join?"

"Considering Bevelle's corruption, are you really _that_ surprised?" Picket asked. Yuna couldn't think of an appropriate response, because the Al Bhed was entirely right. She looked down, thoughtfully. Paine, as well, glanced out into the distance, ever quiet and reflective.

Ultimately, Yuna turned her head to look at the sphere hunter. She _knew_ that Paine had once met Gippal, and she also knew that Paine had spent a great deal of time in the desert. Was _she_ somehow connected to the Crimson Squad? Is that why she had reacted the way she had to Picket's words?

Right now, it was hard to be sure. As Yuna gazed at Paine, the latter looked as cold and emotionless as ever… except that… there _was_ an air of sorrow behind that indifference. Yuna could detect it… for _she_ felt the same grief all too often. She wouldn't ask Paine about it, though. She knew the sphere hunter wanted her privacy.

Presently, Rikku was continuing Picket's interrogation. "So these two Bevelle supervisors. What more do you know about them?"

"Well," Picket shrugged. "From what I understand, they didn't look like Bevellians anymore. They looked like Syndicate sphere hunters. The sighting was a few days ago – while they were leaving. They haven't been seen since, and personally, I think they left."

"But something's still going on in there?" Rikku asked.

"But it's probably just harmless stuff," Picket insisted. "You know? Like sphere hunting. Like I said, Nhadala's just freaking out because she, like everyone else, is still living in the past. And when an Al Bhed sees a Yevonite, he knows they're just gonna end up rubbing each other the wrong way."

"That's too bad," Yuna said. She, herself, had always been raised to follow Yevon, but her mother was Al Bhed. She had often used to wonder, when she was a child, what that made her… Presently, she changed the subject. "So, what's the Oasis like?"

"Hang on a minute," Picket suggested as he drove the hover up over one last sand dune. "And see for yourself."

As they scaled the dune, Yuna's eyes caught sight of their destination. The Oasis. Yevon, it _did_ make a refreshing little paradise, in the midst of such an arid region. It wasn't at all extraordinary – but the simplicity of the tall, evenly spaced palm trees that grew up from the whitest sand Yuna had ever seen in her life, beside a small little tranquil pool of water, made it look unbelievably invigorating.

"It's beautiful," she whispered as Picket brought the hover down into it. He parked the hefty machina, and looked at the Summoner appreciatively.

"That's what's so great about the desert," he explained. "It's full of wonder."

"Poetry isn't your thing, Picket," Rikku told him bluntly as she slid out of her buckles and off the hover. Paine and Yuna followed her lead.

The Summoner rushed forward, sliding somewhat on the soft sand, and looked about her eagerly. "How come you've never brought me here before, Rikku?"

The Al Bhed girl shrugged. "Never got around to it, I guess. We were always having too much fun."

"Right," Paine scoffed, walking deeper into the Oasis. There was a small rise not far from where they were, and the sphere hunter was headed directly for it. She paused only when the sun gleamed off of something hidden in the sand. Looking down, she noticed a sphere, half-buried.

"What did you find?" Rikku asked as she and Yuna walked towards their comrade, watching her kneel down to claim the prize.

"Looks like just another dressphere," Paine replied, automatically hooking it to her belt as she righted herself.

"Just another dressphere?" The new voice sounded incredulous.

"Huh?" Paine, Yuna, and Rikku all looked up in surprise – and even Picket rose to his feet up on the hover, slightly alarmed – as Logos, Ormi, and another female goon appeared over the rise that Paine herself had been heading towards a moment ago.

Logos grinned maliciously down at them. "Well, fancy meeting you here! You can lead a Gullwing to water, but you can't make it drink!"

Rikku looked quite insulted by their appearance. "I don't get it! We left you guys snoozing back in Djose! How'd you get here?"

Ormi lifted both his arms with clenched fists, as if bracing himself for some kind of race or something. "That's just what a _Dullwing_ like you gets for taking on the mighty Leblanc Syndicate!"

Rikku scoffed. "What, did you come up with that yourself?"

Ormi hesitated, and Paine leered at the female standing beside him. "That's a nice uniform." The provocation clearly angered not just the goon, but Logos and Ormi as well.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Logos practically shouted, drawing his two pistols. "We'll take back what is ours now!"

"Don't count on it," Rikku shot back, drawing her two daggers as Yuna drew her own two guns, and Paine her sword.

Logos fired twice at the Al Bhed girl, but the sphere hunter dove in front of her, holding up the flat side of her blade. And to the Syndicate member's utter _amazement_, the two bullets bounced harmlessly off and fell uselessly to the ground.

"Why, you-" Logos' objection was cut short, for Yuna was suddenly directly in front of him, with one of her own guns pressed lethally against his throat. He very well nearly squealed in surprise.

"Don't move!" she suggested cheerfully, and he certainly didn't disobey.

Both Ormi and the female moved at once to help their comrade, but they were _both_ intercepted, either by Paine or Rikku.

Paine went after Ormi, sliding over the sand until she had completely skidded into his path, holding up her sword at the ready. Ormi practically fell over backwards as she slashed the blade towards him, and he had no time to retaliate before she kicked him savagely. _This_ time, he _did_ fall heavily onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Rikku was having a little bit more trouble with the female. She was countering the Al Bhed's daggers with two of her own exotic steel fans, and, to Rikku's disgust, she actually knew how to use them.

"Ur, syh!" the Al Bhed complained miserably as both she and the goon lashed out and evaded several dangerous attacks that were dealt with a total of four deadly weapons, pitted against each other. It was almost like a dance, they moved with such grace, speed, and agility – and neither one of them seemed to have the advantage.

Leave it to the female members of Leblanc's Syndicate to actually be competent fighters. For a moment, Rikku feared she would be outclassed!

_No way!_ There was _no way_ Yunie's Al Bhed Guardian – who had, by the way, helped defeat something as incredible as Sin – would be beaten by a follower of that miserable tramp, Leblanc! Rikku _refused_ to allow it!

Gritting her teeth, she decided to fall back on old habits. Her favorite Garment wasn't of a Thief dressphere for nothing!

Stopping short, Rikku tossed both of her daggers down so that the blades each dug straight into the sand. Her adversary saw this, but clearly either didn't understand what on Spira Rikku was up to, or she had too much momentum backing her to stop herself as she brought down her sharply edged fans upon the girl.

Rikku effortlessly caught the goon's wrists. Before the latter could even _think_ about reacting to _that_, Rikku tossed both her legs up into the woman's gut before kicking off into a complete back flip. The force of her attack propelled the woman to the ground – but not before Rikku expertly pulled free and claimed both of the fans for herself.

Now weaponless and, therefore, defenseless, the goon could do nothing but stare up at the thieving Al Bhed in astonishment.

"I know, I know," Rikku said triumphantly. "No need to say it! I am simply amazing."

"And full of yourself," Paine grumbled as the Al Bhed pulled her daggers out of the ground and sheathed them with a grin.

Logos, meanwhile, was glaring at the Gullwings with an _extremely_ scarlet face. "_Now_ what?" His voice was tight with anger.

Yuna looked up at him – almost sweetly – as she cocked the gun that was still pressed against his jugular vein. "Now, have your girlfriend take off her uniform. And then, you won't get hurt."

"Why are you stealing our uniforms?" Ormi demanded angrily from where he sat on his butt in the sand. "What do you want with them?"

Yuna glanced at him almost as if surprised that he should ask. "We don't want _anything_ with them," she lied innocently. "But the Syndicate stole one of our spheres, and we needed an original method to get just revenge for that. We thought that _this_ strategy would be the most humiliating for you guys."

"There's no way I'm taking off my uniform," the female goon hissed angrily at the Gullwings.

Paine barely glanced in her direction. "Want to bet?"

**ooooooo**

Ten minutes later, Picket was driving the hover back towards the airship with the Gullwings in tow. And the three of them were practically _celebrating_ their most recent victory.

"Two uniforms down," Rikku was chirping gleefully. "And one to go!"

"We probably should lay low for awhile," Paine suggested thoughtfully as the wind blew against her face – for Picket was driving that thing as fast as it could go to match it with their high spirits. "To give them time to actually cool off and believe Yuna's little gibe."

"Can't believe they fell for that," Rikku shook her head with sparkling eyes. "Us just wanting the uniforms to humiliate them! Idiots." She winked at her cousin. "Pretty clever, though, Yunie."

She was smiling too, but just shrugged her response. And then: "Let's go to Mt. Gagazet. I've put off speaking to Kimahri about those two pups for long enough." She felt like it was time to assure him that, even though she had been unable to herd them back home, she _knew_ that they were both all right. And Kimahri would appreciate something even so small as that.

And if he had found another sphere that might be of… Yuna wanted to see it, and felt confident that she was ready for whatever it might present.

"Great!" Rikku tossed back her head and basked beneath the desert sky. "From Bikanel to Gagazet! What a change!"

Yuna felt like laughing. And as Picket drove them back to the airship, they didn't look back, and didn't give Leblanc's goons any more thought.

They had left the three of them, Logos, Ormi, and the female, tied up to the palm trees of the Oasis – not so tightly that they would never free themselves – and well under _plenty_ of shelter from the sweltering sun, near to the water. Picket had given the female a large blanket from the hover to wrap around her body, since the Gullwings had taken her uniform, and had also supplied them each with a day's ration of food. They'd be fine – if not a little pissed off – in which case, the Gullwings could hardly blame them.

But they wouldn't lose any sleep over it, and now all they wanted was to continue on with their journey. And so the hover carried them back to the Celsius. And they took joy in yet another beautiful afternoon.

**ooooooo**


	28. Fayth Scar

**ooooooo**

The Gullwings reached the sacred mountain in the evening, as the sun was sinking in the sky. It was cold towards night, to be sure, but the mountain was strangely illuminant as the sun's last brilliant rays of light reflected off the snow and ice. It was beautiful. But solemn.

As Yuna, Rikku, and Paine climbed out of the airship near the mountain's summit, still feeling some last tendrils of their earlier glee, the gravity in the very _atmosphere_ around them ended their jubilation and brought them to feel more tranquil satisfaction.

Kimahri stood waiting for them, like a silent, motionless statue carved long ago by the greatest of sculptors. The very great variety of emotion expressed in his stillness was unimaginable. He stood powerful but calm, pleased but sorrowful, hopeful but wise… There had never been a Ronso of such profound intricacy and sensibility. If he _had_ to be described in a single word, that word could only be: magnificence.

It still was a wonder to Yuna how someone as prodigious as Kimahri could _ever_ have been Guardian to someone like her. And to have been Guardian, not just for her pilgrimage, but for most of her life!

He made movement only as he watched them approach, to welcome them. And almost immediately after that, he got straight to the heart of the matter. "Kimahri sorry."

Yuna felt a wave of disappointment sweep through her heart as she asked: "Sorry about what?"

"Kimahri look for sphere for Yuna," the Ronso elaborated in his deep, deep voice that sounded more regretful than ever before. "But Kimahri find nothing. Kimahri disappoint Yuna."

He had always been able to see straight into her heart, and sense the sentiments there. Yuna made herself smile and shake her head. "It's all right Kimahri. I did no better than you." Kimahri stared at the Summoner without responding, so she explained. "We saw Lian and Ayde in the Calm Lands. They were fine, but… we couldn't convince them to return to the mountain."

"Kimahri know Ronso pups are well," he quickly assured her. "But Yuna questions bear no answers." He still regretted what he believed to be a failure.

Yuna walked up to him without faltering. "_You_ haven't disappointed me, Kimahri. Of course I'm happy that you tried to help, but the truth is… Yuna really has to deal with Yuna problems." She hoped Kimahri would understand.

But then, he _had_ always been persistent, and wouldn't _ever_ stop aiding the woman where he could. "Kimahri search mountain long time. But still one place Kimahri not look. Fayth Scar rises high on mountain. Scar is sacred ground which Ronso not tread."

Up until that statement, Rikku and Paine had both quietly been paying attention to the conversation without interruption. But _now_, they couldn't ignore such an opening.

Paine glanced at the Al Bhed in anticipation. "Might still be some spheres up there."

"Yeah!" Rikku zealously agreed. Yuna glanced at them both, a little flustered, before looking back at Kimahri.

"Summoners no longer climb mountain," he said. His voice turned almost bitter with his next few words. "Now only sphere hunters come. Kimahri worry hunters defile sacred land."

Rikku's face turned indignant as she looked at her friends. "Do you think it's Leblanc and her goons?"

That was _definitely_ what worried Yuna. Most of the Leblanc Syndicate couldn't be trusted to respect Ronso land… sacred or not. "Maybe we should check." She hesitated, her face reddening as she realized what she had just said, and looked back at Kimahri. "Is that okay?" He was complaining about sphere hunters… _Yuna_ was a sphere hunter now. She ardently hoped not to become the kind of hunter that Kimahri seemed to so greatly disapprove.

She should have known that to Kimahri, she would _always_ just be Yuna. He nodded his head. "Kimahri trust Yuna. Kimahri not worry."

"Great!" Rikku energetically cheered. She hopped towards the Ronso. "So where is this Fayth Scar anyway?"

He looked at her fondly for a minute before turning back to Yuna. "Kimahri take Yuna as far as Kimahri able."

Yuna nodded. "And then we'll take it from there."

That seemed to appease the elder of the Ronso Tribe. He led them – not up the mountain – but across it. They crossed over what felt like miles as Kimahri led them down a trail that none of them could make out – or had ever followed before. Eventually, Rikku pulled off a small machina device from her belt that worked almost like a compass and a map rolled into one, and set it so she would later be able to find her way back to a familiar trail, should they get lost.

Mt. Gagazet was a large mountain. Yuna had often taken that for granted, but couldn't anymore. This strange new portion of it remained as close to the summit as they had ever been – but might have been on an entirely _different_ mountain, she recognized it so little.

Before long, they came to a part of the mountain that unexpectedly jutted upwards into several rugged, craggy cliffs that _did_ look scalable, but no less severe. There was no wonder why the Ronso called it a "Scar."

The three Gullwings all stopped short to stare up at the path that now lay in front of them in disbelief.

Rikku characteristically began to whine. "You mean we're supposed to climb this?"

Paine crossed her arms with a sigh. "No wonder the Ronso never come here."

Kimahri looked at Yuna with some worry in his amber eyes. "Night darkens sky. Kimahri fear for Yuna on Scar."

It _was_ getting darker. But the moon was bright that night – and its light reflected off the snow and ice as the sun's had earlier. It wasn't _quite_ as illuminant, but it was still surprisingly visible, and Yuna couldn't bring herself to wait.

"We'll be fine, Kimahri," she promised him. "And back before you know it!" If worse came to worse, all three of them had multiple spheres they could use to their advantage. They felt entirely confident, if it was just the mountain they had to handle.

Even still, Kimahri might have objected further if not for a sudden disturbance that caught Yuna's attention.

Looking up through the darkness, she could clearly see a beam of light that looked like it might have belonged to a torch, or something similar, jumping from the ragged edge of one crag to the ragged edge of another upwards towards the summit.

"Look!" Yuna pointed towards it, and Kimahri, Rikku, and Paine all followed her gaze. Sure enough, they, too, could make out the form of a human lightly climbing up the Fayth Scar.

"We have to go after it!" Rikku exclaimed. And before Kimahri could stop them, all three of them were running towards the cliffs.

They were made up entirely of rocks, with only a little bit of ice and a thin layer of snow here and there. Nevertheless, they were cold to touch, hard, sharp, and jagged. It would have been difficult climbing up using both their feet _and_ their hands. The easiest and quickest way up would have to be by following their quarry's example – jumping. And so they did, from outcrop to outcrop, all the way up to the top of the cliffs.

It didn't take them very long, and like stalkers in the night they purposefully and quietly trailed after their predecessor.

As it turned out, they had, in fact, been following one of Leblanc's goons. A female, no less.

"What are the odds?" Rikku whispered as she, Yuna, and Paine knelt down low behind a protruding boulder to watch the female goon join another who was sitting at the edge of a spring, apparently washing an additional set of clothing.

"The water felt great," the Gullwings heard the second woman tell the newcomer. "Can you believe there's a hot spring in a place like this?"

"You took a swim?" the goon that the Gullwings had followed up sounded incredulous. "This is _supposed_ to be sacred Ronso ground! You were-"

"What?" her companion looked up at her with a smirk. "Think some Ronso boogieman is gonna come get you? Better _that_ than the boss, know what I mean?"

The first one sighed. "You were just supposed to wash those clothes because that fiend you killed got blood all over 'em and you couldn't bear the smell – even if you didn't have to wear it!"

"Yeah," the second laughed. "Good thing I brought a change of clothes, right?" She shook her head in amusement.

"This isn't a laughing matter!" the first objected. "Why should _you _get to slack off when _I_ have to go around keeping watch?"

"I'm not slacking off!" the second sounded offended. She tossed her head back haughtily. "Just trying to rejuvenate, is all."

"Rejuvenate," the first scoffed miserably. "I'll tell you what-"

At that moment, before the female goon could finish her thought, the slippery snow beneath Rikku's feet slid, nearly bringing her to her knees; she just barely caught her balance, with the boulder's help, but not in time to stifle the sounds of the disturbance.

The two goons both looked up towards the Gullwings, alert and quiet. They had definitely heard Rikku, but in the darkness of the night, they couldn't see her, and couldn't make out where she was still hiding. For all they knew, they were still alone, and had just been imagining things.

"Did you hear that?" the second goon whispered as Rikku tried to keep from laughing. Yuna and Paine weren't sure what was so funny, but the Al Bhed girl obviously thought the whole situation was hilarious.

The first goon sounded frightened when she spoke. "I don't want to fight any fiends after dark. We wouldn't stand a chance." She held out the torch in front of her, as if hoping that the fire alone would keep the fiends at bay. After all… she was a _sphere_ hunter. Not a _monster_ hunter…

From somewhere below them – farther back down the mountain – a sudden and loud roar could be heard howling in the wind, even from atop the Fayth Scar. The timing couldn't have been better; the _last_ thing the two goons apparently wanted to deal with were both fiends _and_ upset Ronso.

They both scrambled desperately towards the trail from whence they had come, dropping everything they absolutely did not need in order to find shelter from whatever danger they might be in. As frightened as they were, they didn't even notice the Gullwings, who slid around the boulder to remain as out of sight as possible, as they ran past them. In a matter of moments, they were both out of sight.

And then, Rikku _did_ burst out laughing. She turned gleefully towards Yuna and Paine. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever seen! What a joke!" She shook her head in amusement as Paine carefully edged towards the water.

Slowly, she reached down to pluck the uniform out of the spring. Of course, she couldn't possibly manage that without actually _touching_ the water – which instinct told her _had_ to be _icy _cold… But it wasn't. Paine nearly gasped in surprise; even though she _had_ heard Leblanc's goon say the spring was hot, its actual warmth was stunning. She looked over at Yuna and Rikku in amazement.

"What is it?" the former asked the sphere hunter curiously as she and the Al Bhed made their way over to her.

"It's nice," Paine said, standing up with the soggy clothing in her arms. "And it looks like we've found our last Syndicate uniform."

"Even the head piece?" Rikku asked as she curiously leaned over the water, breathing in actual steam from its surface.

Paine glanced around until she located both the headdress and the mask laying in the snow. "Yeah."

"That sure was easy," Rikku said as she righted herself and clapped her hands. "Who would've thought? Three uniforms all collected! And we weren't even trying to find one up here!"

"No kidding," Yuna smiled, and looked out over the hot spring thoughtfully. A moment later, she nodded decisively. "Well. As long as we're here." She glanced at Rikku and Paine both, winked, and nodded back towards the water suggestively. The two women gaped at her.

"On sacred ground?" Rikku couldn't believe such a thought had passed through _Yuna's_ mind, of all people!

A small smirk curled over Paine's mouth, and she accepted. "No one's looking." There was no argument there. And it wasn't like any of them considered going for a short swim _defilement_ of sacred ground.

In fact, Yuna had the greatest respect for springs like this. But for a different reason…

In a matter of minutes, the three women had stripped down into their underclothes, and had made their way into the water. It was a breathtaking experience – combining the freezing mountain air with the hot, hot water of the mountain spring… It was pure bliss.

Yuna sighed, floating on her back and staring up at the brilliant stars spread like a blanket over the sky. "This feels great…" She could not have asked for a more refreshing swim anywhere in Spira.

"Hmm… What have we here?"

Yuna looked up, and through the darkness she could see Rikku staring at her playfully. She frowned. "What?" Rikku splashed her straight in the face, catching Yuna completely by surprise. "Excuse me!"

Rikku was laughing like a little girl and turned towards Paine. "Yeah! I know who's got it going on!"

"Stay away," Paine practically growled from where she was relaxing in the water. Rikku ignored her and started mischievously swimming towards her in a dogpaddle. Paine's eyes narrowed as the Al Bhed approached. "Wanna get hurt?"

Rikku paused and grinned over at Yuna. "Wanna check out Paine?" Yuna's mouth opened in disturbed amusement. There was no doubt that her young cousin was just teasing for the fun of it, but still… it was a strange sense of humor.

And Paine quickly grew tired of it. She stood up in frustration. "Hurt time."

Rikku let out a maniacal laugh as she followed Paine's example. "Ooh, you want some?" She held up her fists and hopped up and down, ready for a mock fight.

She wasn't counting on Yuna, who quickly approached her from behind. "Let me help!" She grabbed Rikku around her waist.

"Hey!"

Paine smirked. "Now where were we?"

Rikku struggled savagely against Yuna, who managed to keep hold of her. "I didn't mean it!"

"Too late!" Paine and Yuna said together as the former scurried towards the Al Bhed and helped the Summoner completely dunk her underneath the water.

Rikku forced her way back up and shot towards the other side of the spring. She was easily the best swimmer of the three, and took no shame in rubbing that in or using it to her advantage. Turning around, she once again splashed Yuna, and then Paine.

Both women loudly objected, before retaliating by splashing the Al Bhed back. They continued splashing each other for some time, thoroughly enjoying every second of the friendly competition. But before long, they were interrupted by a transmission that could be heard from Rikku's receiver back up with her clothes.

It was Brother, and he sounded alarmed. "Yuna! What's all the noise?"

Rikku tried to stifle her laughter as Yuna pushed her hair back out of her face and shook her head before replying: "We're just taking a little dip!"

"Y meddma teb!" Brother could be heard exclaiming from the receiver. "Code: Pink! I'll be there right now!"

But before Rikku could shout out an objection, they all heard for themselves a loud crash from the other side of the transmission.

Yuna frowned. "Brother?"

"Don't worry!" Buddy's voice suddenly reached them. "I knocked him out!"

"Ha!" Rikku did _not_ sound amused. Man, why did Brother have to _be_ like that? It was embarrassing! She sighed and shook her head, looking back at Yuna and Paine. "Maybe we should get out. I'm getting all pruney."

Her friends agreed, and without further ado, they reached for their clothes. And in those few following minutes, all Yuna could think about was how terribly she had needed something like that. Even if it hadn't lasted that long at all… it had been completely carefree… and spent with two friends who were growing so close to her, they might well have been sisters.

**ooooooo**

Before long, they had made their way back out of the Fayth Scar, where Kimahri had loyally waited to guide them back to the Celsius. As they went, Rikku had the courtesy to radio the airship and inform them both of their approach and of their successful retrieval of a third Syndicate uniform. She also wanted to check in with Brother, and make sure he hadn't been _too_ badly hurt by Buddy.

In any case, by the time the Gullwings were all together again, it was very late, and the women were tired and very cold. The Celsius camped out on the side of the mountain for the night. Yuna placed the recently acquired uniform with the other two, laying it out to dry. And then, the three of them went to the loft in the cabin where they could finally catch some shut eye.

After all, they were all expecting the next day to be a big one…

**ooooooo**


	29. Unlikely Alliance

**ooooooo**

When Yuna woke up the next morning, she immediately sensed that someone else was awake in the loft with her, standing not too far away. Rolling over in her bed, she looked up to see Paine – but not a Paine she recognized.

_This_ sphere hunter was dressed up like a Syndicate member. Instead of wearing black, she was wearing pink and purple. It must have been a nightmare for her.

Yuna sat up with a smile. "Looking good."

Paine whirled around with a sneer. "Care to say that again?"

Yuna almost laughed. "Anyway, this plan is perfect. No one's gonna recognize _you_."

The woman scoffed and stared dully down at the flamboyant headpiece in her hands. The purple cloth would drape over her head, covering her hair, as the white theatrical mask would cover her face. No one would guess who it really was hiding beneath it. Paine shook her head in disgust. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yes' sum," Yuna enthusiastically agreed, practically hopping out of bed. "I'll wake Rikku."

**ooooooo**

In a mere quarter of an hour, the Gullwings found themselves standing in the Celsius's cockpit, the women dressed in the recently acquired Syndicate uniforms, the men staring at them all in fascination as Brother maneuvered the airship back towards Guadosalam. The latter three had been very impressed by the disguise, and the former three were anxiously awaiting their chance to infiltrate Chateau Leblanc, and take back what had been taken from them.

When the Celsius was about a mile from Guadosalam, Brother brought it down so that the women could sneak off the airship without being seen, and so that they could approach the Chateau without suspicion. And as they covered the distance that remained between them and their destination, they barely spoke as anticipation welled up inside their minds.

The manor eventually grew visible, as did the rest of the town and the people within – most of whom were members of the Syndicate. No one, however, seemed to notice the three Gullwings, or particularly care about their arrival.

"I hope this works," Yuna whispered. She honestly could not remember ever feeling her heart pound like _this_ in entire life. But then… when was the last time she had gone undercover?

"Worry after we're caught," Paine advised.

"Yeah!" Rikku agreed, cheerful as ever. "It's easy, Yunie!" Yuna certainly hoped so.

They walked up to the front entrance of the manor, where two Syndicate sentries were standing at the ready. They glanced at the women's finely shaped bodies in definite interest.

"Reporting for duty!" Yuna and Rikku both decided to get the first three words in, and they both felt their cheeks flush when their voices came out in harmony. Paine smirked, and rolled her eyes as her two companions glanced at each other in embarrassment.

The two goons were clearly flustered as well. One spoke uncertainly: "Th…Thanks?"

For a moment, no one moved.

And then: "What are you waiting for?" Paine demanded in the strong, confident voice that the two goons were both more familiar with, and more comfortable with. "Let us inside."

"Of course," one goon said as the other immediately set to opening the two large double doors. And Yuna, despite herself, felt an overpowering sense of dread boil inside her heart.

The last time those doors had opened to her…

"Let's not keep the boss waiting!" Rikku merrily proclaimed, sensing her cousin's distress. She grabbed Yuna's hand and practically dragged her in, with Paine on their heels. And as the passed into the great hall, the Al Bhed whispered to the Summoner: "You're doing great. Don't let this place get to you."

"That's all memories ever are, right?" Yuna whispered back. "Just memories?"

Rikku nodded, and from behind her mask, Yuna could see her wink. "Absolutely right, Yunie! I've said it before and I'm not afraid of saying it again!"

"I hope you two aren't going to blow our cover," Paine whispered strictly, coming up from behind them.

Rikku glanced at her in surprise, and then took in the great hall that surrounded them. "What are you talking about? This has been another smashing success!"

Paine shook her head. "We're not done yet. Where's the sphere?"

But before her friends could respond, the two great double doors that stood in front of them – similar both in size and shape to the entrance behind them through which they had come – were suddenly pushed open. Yuna's heart was pounding. Beyond those doors was the banquet hall… where Seymour had proposed…

When the doors were open, it was Paine's turn to feel her heart pound violently. For Nooj appeared, walking briskly and intently. And Paine couldn't help but wonder… would he see right through her disguise, and blow her cover?

No. He hardly cared to even give her a second glance. "Thank you, Leblanc."

It was all Yuna, Rikku, and Paine could do not to jump in surprise as the woman in question sauntered after him, with all but tiny hearts beating in her eyes. She was _obviously_ infatuated with the Meyvn of the Youth League! "Anything for you, love."

Nooj hesitated as he walked past the Gullwings – never once realizing who they were. His head fell back slightly and he looked up at the ceiling as a small smirk crossed his face. "Now I finally know the location of Vegnagun. Spira is in for a rough ride."

Heat flowed through Yuna's body as sweat spotted her brow. The sudden sense of protectiveness that flowed through her veins and into her heart and soul surprised her. But the thought that "Spira was in for a rough ride" brought out the Summoner side of her, and she desperately wanted to know exactly what Nooj meant.

But she bit her tongue, knowing full well that Paine would never let her forget it if she blew their cover now.

Nooj glanced over his shoulder to look back at Leblanc. "Take care."

The woman nearly swooned. "Yes, love."

And Paine thought she was going to be sick.

Nooj didn't say another word, but passed quickly out of the manor and into the streets of Guadosalam. As soon as the doors were shut behind him, Leblanc's face turned somewhat drab and gray as melancholy set in. She sighed. "Oh, how long must we be apart? These days without you are not easy on me, love."

Rikku almost laughed out loud, but managed not to as Paine rested a cautionary hand on her arm. Meanwhile, Leblanc dejectedly walked up one of the two dark stairwells that had been built on either side of the room, leading up to a single landing that could be seen beyond its balustrade. There was a bedroom up there, and the Syndicate leader retreated inside of it.

"The boss has got a thing for Nooj!" Rikku gleefully whispered to her two companions. "Who would have thought?"

Yuna was smiling, and would have been happy to have a quick little gossip with her cousin on the scandal of it all, but it all brought Paine to feel a sharp stab of… jealousy? No… it must have been disgust. Yes, disgust. And the sphere hunter felt the need _not_ to dwell on such things, but to continue on with their mission.

"Come on," she said coldly – reminding her two friends that _she_ actually _knew_ Nooj, and did not want to be bothered by him. Feeling somewhat guilty, they followed her into the banquet hall.

Logos and Ormi were both there, talking in obvious displeasure. The three Gullwings stopped short at the sight of them, and felt no shame in listening to their conversation.

"The boss is a different person when that Nooj guy shows up, huh?" Ormi was saying.

Logos had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot irritably. "Suppressing her natural charm and acting like some housewife. She must be tense."

As Yuna listened to their words, she quickly took in the sight of the room. Everything about it was different. It looked… softer… to her amazement. Less like a banquet hall, and more like a living room. Despite everything, Leblanc had made it more comfortable simply to look at! And Yuna felt safer than she had expected to. Seymour was gone. Not even shadows of him inside his very own home could ambush her now.

"You!"

Yuna started and whirled her head to see Logos staring directly at her. For a moment, she feared that he could see right through her.

But no. Logos merely wanted to dish out orders. "Go to the boss's chamber and tend to your duties."

Immediately Paine and Rikku drew away from Yuna, as if fearing she had some kind of disease. The Summoner gulped. "What… duties?"

"You know…" Ormi sounded uncomfortable having to explain it. "Use your talents to help her… uh… unwind."

That was a remarkable way of putting it.

Yuna glanced uncertainly at Paine and Rikku, but they both motioned for her to obey. Some friends they were. The Summoner took a deep breath and nodded. Nevertheless, she walked slowly and reluctantly, against her better judgment, out of the banquet hall.

Climbing up the stairs, she found herself passing a few other goons. They both looked at her knowingly and were obviously thankful they weren't in her shoes. Yuna felt that much worse. Why her? Why couldn't it have been Rikku?

The door to Leblanc's "chamber" was slightly ajar, and Yuna quietly slid inside. The entire room was lit only by a few evenly spaced candles – which did little to keep the shadows at bay. All in all, the atmosphere of the bedroom seemed to fit Leblanc's mood very well.

The woman was standing in front of a large statue – the very likeness of Nooj. And suddenly Yuna was _glad_ she was there and not Paine. The sphere hunter would have been completely _astonished_ by the sight of it, Yuna knew, and probably appalled.

Leblanc sighed heavily and blew the statue a kiss before turning round and noticing Yuna. "I'm waiting." She made for a large bed not far from Nooj's statue, and practically collapsed down onto it. To Yuna's immense relief, she was lying face down, and made no show of inviting the Summoner to lie beside her. In fact, she didn't move at all…

And suddenly, Yuna knew _exactly_ what her duties were. _She just wants a massage…_ The Gullwing nearly sighed her relief then and there – which would _definitely_ have caught Leblanc's attention. She walked up to the bed and started rubbing her rival's back with a zeal that came only from the knowledge that _this_ was as far as she was expected to take things.

All in all, it seemed to work for Leblanc. For about fifteen minutes later she sighed her content. "Hmmm…. When did you get so good at this?"

"Uh… um…" Yuna didn't know how to answer, and she _certainly_ didn't want to. What if Leblanc recognized her voice? "I-I… dunno."

"Don't stop," the woman ordered, and Yuna obeyed. Leblanc sighed again, turning her head towards the statue. "Oh, Noojie-Woojie is such a manly man, don't you think?"

Yuna's mouth literally dropped open. _Somehow_, she managed to hold in a chortled burst of laughter, but the mere sight of her face would have given her away. Thankfully, Leblanc wasn't looking at her… but still. _Noojie-Woojie?_

"He can be blunt," Leblanc was saying. "But that makes the occasional smile all the more irresistible! That godly smile… That's the whole reason I became a sphere hunter! Oh, if only there were some miracle sphere… something that could make him truly happy. What I wouldn't give…"

And those were the words that the leader of the Syndicate fell asleep to.

Frowning, Yuna leaned closer, making absolutely sure that Leblanc was sleeping. Somehow, the sudden change surprised her. She slowly, and quietly, backed away from the bed, thankful for the reprieve.

At that moment, the door once again opened, and Logos and Ormi both quietly walked in. One look at Leblanc was all they needed to guess what had happened.

"The boss fell asleep again," Logos stated quietly. "One massage and she's out like a light."

Ormi seemed rather put off. "And we's been waiting for her, too, 'cause she had something important to tell us." And he glared at Yuna rather accusingly.

Logos sighed. "We'll just have to keep waiting. In the meantime…" he glanced at Yuna. "Go help your friends inspect the switch panel. It's malfunctioning again." He rolled his eyes and shook his head as if greatly annoyed.

Yuna nodded and quickly darted out of the room. She moved practically at a sprint, aiming to get back downstairs and rejoin her friends as soon as possible. She found them, upon reentering the banquet hall, focused together at the back of the room. And as she approached them, she could see Paine watching Rikku standing in front of what looked like some kind of protruding switch. The Al Bhed was wearing a frown as she expertly messed around with it.

"What's going on?" Yuna asked Paine.

But it was Rikku who replied. "This is just basic machina! But the lever's jammed. I just have to…" She finished fiddling with something, and the switch suddenly went down. Rikku let out a small squeal, but it died and turned into something of a moan when the only reaction to the switch was that a portrait hanging on a wall slid upwards as if by magic. She shook her head unhappily as she walked to the now bare section of the wall. "What a letdown."

In her disappointed frustration, the Al Bhed savagely kicked and pounded the wall. However, the force of her attack caused the wall to tilt open like a pivoting door, and Rikku practically fell on her face. She let out a strangled cry.

"Rikku!" Yuna rushed forward in surprise.

But the Al Bhed was fine, if not a little peeved. "Who's bright idea was that?"

"Take it up with the boss," Paine lightly suggested. But then she realized what she had said, and shook her head in annoyance. "Ah. I've had these clothes on for too long."

"Then let's get this over with so we can change," Yuna suggested. She started down into what turned out to be the entrance of a maze of corridors and twisting hallways that were all lit in a dim reddish light. It didn't prove to be _too_ difficult a maze, however, and the Gullwings quickly found it easy to navigate their way around.

They were still exploring when a transmission on Rikku's belt suddenly sounded out. It was their captain. "Rikku! This is Brother! How's it going?"

Rikku looked down at her belt in horror, and then hissed in alarm. "Brother, be quiet! This is a covert operation! Over and out!"

But to both Yuna's dread and amusement, Brother would not be silenced. "Grrr! How dare you speak to your leader like that!"

Rikku was growing red in the face – but thanks to her mask, no one noticed. "Ooh… Shut up, already!" It was _her_ voice, not Brother's, which, at that moment, echoed through the hallways.

"Uh-oh," Yuna whispered as Rikku cringed.

"You think anyone heard?" she asked in a meek whispered.

Paine rolled her eyes. "Can't be sure. Let's keep going." Her friends obeyed, and they found themselves proceeding into a circular, unlit room. Rikku, however, instinctively reached her hand out along the wall and found a switch. Almost immediately after flipping it, light bathed the room, and the Gullwings found themselves standing in the threshold of what was obviously someone's bedchamber.

"Ew," Rikku was disgusted. "This is just great. I wonder who sleeps here. Logos or Ormi?"

"Does it matter?" Yuna asked as Paine walked towards the bed. For lying there, on its covers, was one of _her_ crimson spheres.

"Paine?" Rikku asked as the sphere hunter picked it up. "Did you find it?"

"No," Paine shook her head, while clasping the sphere to her belt. "It's mine. Just a dud, though." Whether that last sentence was false or not, Paine didn't feel the need to explain to the Al Bhed. She turned around. "We should keep going. The sphere has to be back here somewhere."

The others agreed, and so they continued on out of the room, and deeper into the maze. And sure enough, they eventually came to yet another room, where yet another prize was waiting to be claimed.

Or… rather… _two_ prizes were waiting to be claimed.

For as they entered that new room, lit in the same glowing reddish light as the corridors, they found themselves staring at a pedestal where _two_ broken spheres were resting side by side.

Yuna blinked. "Huh?"

Paine, however, quickly understood what was going on, and she walked appreciatively towards the pedestal. "Now I get it. I was wondering why they'd bother stealing half a broken sphere."

"Of course!" Rikku exclaimed. "They already had the other half!"

"Very good, loves."

The Gullwings all spun around in surprise as Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi entered the room behind them, Leblanc looking aggravated by the interruption, and Logos and Ormi looking ashamed and furious by the Gullwings' deception.

Yuna glanced at Rikku. "I guess they heard you, after all." The Al Bhed made a face as she pulled off the headdress and mask and tossed them to the floor. Yuna and Paine quickly followed suit.

Leblanc, however, was not impressed. "I went through a lot of trouble gathering those pieces – all for Noojie-Woojie." Paine almost fell over at the sound of Leblanc's name for the Meyvn. But the other woman didn't notice. "So don't you lay a finger on them! Let's get 'em, boys!"

"Yes, boss!" Logos and Ormi both proclaimed, eager for a chance to redeem themselves.

Logos went for his pistols, but Rikku didn't give him the time he needed to draw them. In less than a second, she was tearing through the air. She vaulted over the Syndicate beanpole and threw her hands around his neck as the rest of her body collided against his back. The two of them fell over and grappled with each other on the floor.

Ormi quickly made to strut over and help his friend, but Paine got in his path. He threw a heavy arm out at her, but she savagely blocked the blow with a strength he hadn't counted on. He tried again, and she blocked again. And then he did something _really _stupid. He tried to head butt her.

Paine ducked out of the way, sweeping her leg against his at the same time. Ormi lost his balance, fell forward, and slammed his helmeted head against the edge of the pedestal. Dazed, he slid to the ground to slowly regain his bearings.

Meanwhile, Yuna and Leblanc were at it, both fighting with the same steel fans Rikku had been up against back at the Oasis. And they were both about evenly matched – for Yuna _certainly_ had no experience fighting with two fans, and only made up for it with her superior reflexes. Eventually, however, pure stamina won out, and Leblanc found herself falling wearily towards the ground. She caved.

"W-wait a second!"

Logos, who was still on the floor struggling to get Rikku off his back, grew motionless at his boss's words – though Rikku _still_ wouldn't let go of his neck.

Leblanc looked up at Yuna submissively. "I'll let you see what's in the sphere."

Paine took a cold step towards her. "Let us?" She sounded angry, and not in the least bit merciful.

Leblanc quickly corrected herself. "Please. The sphere is yours to watch."

Yuna nodded. "Rikku."

The Al Bhed quietly released Logos and jumped towards the pedestal. Picking up each of the two fragmented spheres, she placed them together, put them on the ground, and turned on the recording.

At first, the only glowing image that projected itself above the sphere was static. But then… they could see it.

The machina. The great, scorpion-like, skull-like monster they had seen in the sphere they had stolen from Kilika. It seemed larger in this sphere. Larger, and grayer, and colder, and harder… More menacing… Deadlier.

Yuna caught her breath, remembering Nooj's words. _"Spira is in for a rough ride."_ Her heart pounded violently in her throat.

The area surrounding the machina could be somewhat made out, in bits, through the darkness and the static that continued to obscure. It looked like some kind of amphitheater – but without angled rows of seats. Instead, a great iron landing circled around the machina, with evenly spaced iron platforms jutting out towards it like spears.

And then… down at the foot of the machina… there was a circular dais – one that was raised not even a foot off the cold ramp leading up to it. Somehow, it looked familiar to Yuna. She had seen it somewhere before… but she couldn't think of where.

Something flashed through her mind's sight. _She was running… Someone was running with her… And there were soldiers behind them._ Yuna blinked and forced herself to snap out of it. This was no time for her to be daydreaming!

The image broke apart, and Leblanc regained her feet. "That is the colossus, Vegnagun," she informed the Gullwings. "We finished our analysis of the sphere this morning. It appears to have been recorded underneath Bevelle."

That _thing_ was in Bevelle?

Paine crossed her arms, indignant. "I see Bevelle hasn't lost its old fondness for secrets." _What was Baralai thinking?_

"Exactly," Leblanc spat, surprised to find that there was something the Syndicate and the Gullwings could actually agree on. "Those Yevon scum have been concealing that weapon all along. If anyone uses that thing, Spira is done for."

Yuna glanced away, turmoil bubbling inside of her. She had fought so hard to bring peace to Spira… _Had it all been for nothing?_

Rikku bounced anxiously on her feet. "But it's a machina! All we have to do is shaky-shake our way up to it and take it apart!"

"That's what Noojie's got in mind," Leblanc assured the Al Bhed. "And of course, whatever _he's_ planning, _I'm_ planning." Her words caused both Logos and Ormi to look up miserably. Their leader turned towards Yuna. "What about you?"

"Me?" Yuna stared back at Leblanc unhappily, wondering if the woman was a psychic.

Leblanc did as Paine did and crossed her arms. "The Summoner who defeated Sin ought to stand up and defend Spira once again."

"Uh…" Yuna looked at Rikku and Paine, but neither one of them offered her any suggestions. They just looked back, ready to accept her decision. And so… she found herself nodding in agreement. It was all she could do. She felt she _had_ to.

Leblanc seemed satisfied. "So then I guess we're on the same side. We'll be waiting for you." She turned to head back out of the chamber.

"Waiting where?" Paine growled as Logos and Ormi both got to their feet and made to follow their boss.

Leblanc hardly looked back, but was still _clearly_ smiling. "Don't be silly, love. On your airship, of course. I've always wanted to take a spin on that thing!" She hastened forward, and Rikku urgently followed.

"Ever heard of asking?" she demanded. Leblanc could be heard answering from the corridor, and as Rikku hurried after her, Paine quickly followed, with Logos and Ormi beside her.

Yuna, however, remained standing where she was for several minutes. Everything that had just happened stunned her… and deeply, _deeply_, disturbed her.

Sin was gone! The Calm was here! These peaceful days were to never end!

The Eternal Calm…

Yuna closed her eyes, and bowed her head. _I really believed it would last forever… until now… but look… at how fragile it can be…_

Her heart bled and her body trembled. Once again, she found herself desperate to protect Spira from some kind of strange new devastation. It looked like, maybe, the world still had its spirals after all.

**ooooooo**


	30. Beneath the Temple of Bevelle

**ooooooo**

After changing back into their regular guises, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine met the rest of the Gullwings in the Celsius's cockpit – along with Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. There was obvious tension in the room – especially between Logos and Shinra, the first of whom didn't like the fact that some _kid_ was more intelligent than he was, and the second of whom didn't appreciate the former toying with all his equipment and belongings. It actually made quite a comical sight. Yuna felt a small smile tugging at her lips despite everything.

As soon as Leblanc saw the three women, she got right down to business. "First thing's first. We are going to Bevelle! Full speed ahead!"

Brother did _not_ welcome Leblanc's, of _all_ people's, command. "You just wait, Blondie!" Leblanc looked absolutely _stunned_ by the Al Bhed's rudeness. He turned towards the Summoner. "Yuna? What next?" There was an obvious edge in his voice that pretty much told her how much he resented the Syndicate's presence, but would _tolerate_ them so long as it was _clear_ that he and Yuna were the two in charge.

Leblanc, however, would _not_, under _any_ circumstances, be cast aside. "She's off to save Spira, of course!"

Yuna nodded instinctively, without really even considering the word coming out of her mouth. "Right."

Brother's jaw dropped.

Rikku sighed, shaking her head like a disappointed teacher. "Yunie, Yunie."

Paine smiled, knowingly. "Always getting herself dragged into trouble."

Yuna looked between the three of them, before looking back at Leblanc and her two allies. They were all seeing the Summoner side of her, and not the Gullwing side that she so often wanted to portray. How on Spira was she to save face now? "Well, we're going to Bevelle. There should be lots of spheres there! So why don't we hunt them on the side?"

Leblanc sighed, and placed her hands on her hips. "Just admit it, love. You're a goody-goody."

"Uh!" Yuna forced herself to sound offended. "I am not!" But there really was no way she could convincingly deny the fact. Leblanc just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Rikku turned to her brother. "What's taking so long? Get us to Bevelle!"

"Roger," Brother said, though disdainfully. He walked over to the pilot's chair and sat down. Moments later, they were in the air, flying towards Bevelle with a delighted Leblanc, a nosy Logos, and a motion-sick Ormi all in tow.

**ooooooo**

"So how we gonna do this?" Rikku asked as she, Yuna, Paine, Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi all walked together through the streets of Bevelle towards the Temple. They had heard somewhere in the crowd that Baralai had been seen there earlier that day, and, unconsciously, they had all started migrating in that particular direction. But now they needed a more concrete plan in order to take real action.

They passed out of the thickest throng of Yevonites – many of whom had been watching them suspiciously – and into a more neglected street. It was there that Leblanc answered Rikku, talking over a more uncertain Yuna.

"It's obvious!" As obvious as Leblanc was obviously full of herself. "We nab the head honcho! Then, we make him lead us to Vegnagun… and checkmate!"

Yuna nodded. "Not bad."

"I got no problem with this!" Ormi agreed. "Our target is the New Yevon Praetor, Baralai!"

"Ssh!" Rikku scolded. "Don't talk like we're assassins in this city! Don't you have any sense of delicacy?"

Ormi ignored her and Logos sneered. "A girly man like that doesn't stand a chance without his escort."

Anger flared through Paine. _What did _they_ know? _But then… that anger subsided a bit, as she thought about Baralai. It _would_ be funny to watch Logos get into a fight with the Praetor, after speaking so highly of him, only to watch Baralai completely trounce the guy, and bring him down a few pegs. A sly smirk crawled onto her face. "Careful. He's much stronger than he looks."

Logos obviously didn't believe her.

They could see the Temple in front of them now. Yuna stared at it grimly. When she had visited it on her pilgrimage, it had been her wedding day…

A Bevelle guard was standing in front of the Temple, and when he saw the Gullwings and the Syndicate together, a shadow seemed to darken over him. He started angrily towards them, holding his fanciful rifle – complete with even a bayonet fixed to its barrel – firmly in his hands. He dressed in red, and boasted a silver helmet that came down over the upper part of his face, covering his eyes. A horizontal sliver of light stretched across that visor, through which the man could see, even though it made him greatly resemble some kind of mindless robot. A dangerous, threatening one, no less.

"Company," Paine said dryly, even as Rikku grew tense. As an Al Bhed, she had a particular distaste for Bevelle soldiers.

He stood in front of the six of them, glaring at each of them – even Yuna – though more particularly Rikku – in disgust. "Youth League _spies_! I will not allow you to defile this place as you did the Temple in Kilika! Be gone!"

"I am afraid we cannot leave," Yuna told him firmly. "We have business here."

"You should show the Lady Summoner some respect," Leblanc added haughtily, never one to stand silently behind someone else.

"I am asking you to leave," the guard replied stiffly. And to stress his point, he readied his rifle, as if hoping _that_ would intimidate them.

It didn't. Instead, Logos and Ormi took it as a challenge, and they both acted on it. Logos raised his own pistol as Ormi ran forward and careened into the guard. He let out a surprised squeal as the round Syndicate captain roughly tore the rifle away from him and tossed it onto the ground. A moment later, the guard was in the air, flying towards a wall. He crumpled to the ground and was still.

Satisfied, Logos lowered his weapon and grinned. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all stared in surprise.

"Do you guys go easy on us?" Rikku demanded after a moment.

"Actually, no," Logos shook his head. "We don't. But we have a great dislike for Yevonites."

Paine started, and looked at the two of them suspiciously. "Didn't you use to work for Yevon?"

The color in both of their faces drained away at such an accusation, and Leblanc turned to stare sharply at them in astonishment. For a moment, no one spoke.

"That was a long time ago," Logos finally and stiffly replied. "Until we learned the truth of what had happened. Until we realized that Yevon had forced us to betray our sense of honor… too late for us to change what we had so ignorantly and willingly agreed to do."

"You guys have a sense of honor?" Rikku lightly joked – having no real idea of what Paine and Logos were actually referring to.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, silently speaking words that they would _never_ say aloud. And when Paine glanced at Ormi, he, too, seemed lost in painful memories. So she bowed her head to them, at that moment wordlessly letting go of whatever bitterness she might once have held against them. And they both saw, they both understood, and they both respected.

"Let's go," Paine ordered, and the six of them headed inside the Temple. And as they made their way past its great double doors, Rikku glanced over her shoulder at the old platform that had, two years ago, carried her and the other Guardians down from the city's highest level – where Yuna's wedding had taken place – and which was now far above them. Machina inside the Temple. That had proven beyond a doubt two years ago that the Maesters of Yevon were corrupt, and that the Teachings of Yevon had been despoiled and perverted long ago.

Walking inside the Temple, they could see the Cloister of Trials standing open in front of them. And to their left, they could make out another open door – this one exposing a staircase that led down into the very bowels of a world beneath the Temple.

Rikku eyed it uncertainly. "This isn't suspicious."

Before Yuna could comment on it herself, there was an unholy shriek that sounded out from the Cloister.

"Huh?" All six allies turned towards the open door in time to see four fiends charging through it… straight towards them with fangs ready to kill.

Yuna instinctively drew her guns and fired each twice. Only one bullet to the head of each was needed for these monsters to erupt into orbs of streaming gold light. They were easy to kill… but… somehow… _terribly_ frightening.

Yuna's heart was beating very fast and she could barely breathe.

"Wait!" Rikku sounded like she, too, was close to panicking. "What are fiends doing in the Temple?" Such a thing was unheard of! Even in the time of Sin!

Yuna looked at Paine, Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. They each _looked_ respectfully disturbed, but none of them could even _comprehend_ how awful such a thing was, because none of them, not even Paine, _honestly_ _felt_ real respect for _any_ of the Temples. They hadn't in over two years. But it was different for Yuna.

These Temples even still _meant_ something to her. And the fact that fiends were desecrating them with their presence was twisted and horrifying.

She trembled as she lowered her arms to her sides, still holding a gun in each hand.

"Yunie…" Rikku stared forlornly at her cousin.

Paine walked up behind Yuna – for despite her indifference, she understood that her friend was upset. "The Temple reeks of secrets. Don't let a couple of fiends throw you."

Yuna nodded silently, and holstered her guns. She started down into the darkness beneath the Temple. Silently, the others followed her lead.

The darkness only remained so thick until they reached the bottom of the stairs. Before then, they had walked slowly and carefully, feeling their way down with the walls' support. But at the base, spherical crystals evenly spaced high up along the hard gray stone side walls of a long corridor radiated a soft, cold glow.

It would have been completely silent and still… but as the Gullwings and the Syndicate walked down that corridor, their footsteps could be heard, and their shadows could be seen dancing on the walls like fiends themselves. It was all so… haunting.

Eventually, the corridor turned and opened into a large, dimly lit chamber. But as the six of them walked into it, they could tell immediately what it _really_ was. A dungeon. A gaol.

There were rows and rows of tiny cells lining the walls. Small little cages with three cold stone walls that trapped people in behind several hard iron shafts that served as unmerciful, heartless bars. The cruelty of Bevelle… Those cells had been built so small and tight that there was not even enough room for a prisoner to sit down in them. They had been forced to stand in one position for _Yevon_ only knew how long at a time!

Both of Rikku's hands clamped over her mouth in horror as the six of them stared at the dungeon around them silently.

_This is why I supported the Youth League…_ Yuna felt tears stinging in her eyes as she walked past several of the tiny cells, some of which literally had _bones_ blanketing the floor. Skeletons… How many prisoners had Bevelle allowed to _rot_ in this gaol?

Paine was breathing heavily, and it took her several minutes to regain control. Once she had, she walked up to an open cell and stuck her hand inside. Beyond the iron shafts, the far wall was barely even _half_ an arm's length away. She shivered.

"Let's go," Leblanc ordered. There was definitely an edge in her voice. This place was spooking her. Logos, Ormi, and even Paine followed Leblanc's command, but Rikku hesitated. She looked back at Yuna, who was staring at one of the cages intently, and hadn't even seemed to have heard the Syndicate leader.

The Al Bhed walked towards the Summoner, only now bringing her hands away from her mouth. "Yunie… That sphere with You-Know-Who in it… Wasn't it recorded here?"

Paine, Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi had all heard Rikku's words, and they turned towards the Summoner curiously. Of course, the Syndicate had no idea what Rikku was talking about, but Paine… Now that she thought about it, these cells _did_ remind her of the cage that man had been trapped inside of in that sphere that had originally set Yuna out on this journey in the first place. Right now, at that moment, however, it seemed like a thing from another life…

But Yuna didn't answer Rikku. Instead, she seemed completely absorbed by the cell in front of her. Slowly, she reached out her hand and fingered one of the iron bars. It was cold… hard… unforgiving. She tried to imagine him here… locked inside with no way out. Unable to turn his body… unable to sit or pace… unable to throw back his head and scream like he had once done in Kilika…

Surely… no one would lock him up like that… Not him… Not anyone…

But the skeletons littering the ground were evidence enough that at one time these cells had been used. And used frequently. Such injustice… hurt her more than she had ever imagined possible.

Leblanc was growing impatient. "Get your head out of the clouds and move it!" Without waiting for a reply, she started down towards the corridor they could all make out at the far end of the gaol. Logos and Ormi followed her close behind, but Paine and Rikku wouldn't be tempted into moving until Yuna was ready.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, before starting solemnly after the Syndicate.

The corridor seemed to stretch on forever. And it was no less haunting than anything else had been since entering the Temple.

All the while, Yuna wondered… There was a connection. _Everything_ was connected… She didn't know how… but she could feel it.

As they walked down the corridor, they gradually grew able to hear the footsteps of another. Someone else was walking towards them!

The three members of the Syndicate stopped short when they realized it, and allowed Yuna and Paine to both push their way into the front. And Rikku stood between them all, ready for anything. They waited as the footsteps grew louder, and did not say a word as they watched none other than Baralai himself grow visible in the shadows before them.

The Praetor stopped, calmly taking the six of them in, as if he had expected them all along. He was, if nothing else, a rather composed young man. It was easy to see why New Yevon felt he was capable of handling such great leadership and responsibility.

"The Gullwings," he noted. "I was wondering who was there." His gaze caught sight of Paine, and his expression immediately grew sorrowful. She looked back at him, and nodded her head so subtly that only he seemed to see her do it.

He sighed, and did not acknowledge her. Instead, he focused on Yuna. "You don't have to tell me. I know why you've come."

Yuna stared at him, unblinking. Did he? Could he possibly understand what drove her now? Now that she had seen the gaol? And couldn't get _his_ face out of her mind? His face… closed behind several bars of iron that Yevonites of _Bevelle_ had put into place who knew how long ago? _What does Baralai know?_

He didn't wait for her to speak. "You're here to destroy the weapon that threatens all of Spira: Vegnagun. Am I right? If it could be destroyed, we would have done so long ago."

Yuna and Paine didn't move or breathe a word at this, but Rikku blinked and looked at Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi – each of whom looked either doubtful or uncertain.

Baralai went on: "But Vegnagun must not be touched. Neither you nor Nooj seem to understand that."

Leblanc started at Nooj's name, but for once it was _Paine_ who spoke over _her_.

"You talked to Nooj?" The sphere hunter felt her head spin as Baralai once again looked her way.

The expression on his face twisted into several different dispositions. Sorrow and sympathy and regret… To anger and distrust and bitterness… And then finally to urgency. He _needed_ to convince those in front of him – and _most especially _Paine – that his words were the truth. "He… cannot be trusted." _Please, Paine,_ he thought silently to himself. _Understand what I'm saying. Believe me._

Rikku scoffed. "And you can be?"

"Touché," Baralai stared at the Al Bhed girl in amazement. He actually smiled! But that faded a moment later, for _nothing_ about the situation was amusing in the least. He shook his head. "Yes, I suppose Yevon has brought that distrust upon itself. At any rate, you need not interfere. Leave Vegnagun to me."

Leblanc let out a cruel bark of laughter.

And Yuna spoke for the first time. "What are you planning to do?"

"The only thing I can do," Baralai replied, holding up a modern machine gun in both his hands… not threateningly or menacingly… but warningly. "Keep those who would seek to harm Vegnagun away. Please leave."

"Yeah right," Leblanc scoffed. Nevertheless, she eyed the powerful weapon in Baralai's hands nervously. Logos's common pistol would _never_ be able to match _that_. She waited to see how the Gullwings would react.

In the end, it was Paine who made the decision. She took a step towards Baralai. "Yuna. Rikku. I'm going on."

"Paine!" All color drained from Baralai's face, even as the color darkened on Paine's. She could hear her friends and rivals let out surprised gasps. She could sense their eyes on her back. She _knew_ the Praetor of New Yevon? As she knew Nooj, Meyvn to the Youth League, and Gippal, leader of the Machine Faction. How on _Spira_ was she so well connected? Paine just _knew_ that that was what her two close friends were both thinking.

"You don't want to try stopping me," she told Baralai coldly.

He shook his head. "I can't let you."

Paine did not respond. Instead, she closed her eyes past the tears that were threatening to form, and rushed towards him. Though she had warned Baralai not to try hindering her, he hadn't actually expected her to fight him. And he most _certainly_ wasn't expecting her to be so proficient.

In a matter of seconds, she had the gun out of his hands and onto the floor. He barely had time to let out a cry of astonishment before she had him pinned to the wall with her arm pressed firmly against his throat, crushing his windpipe.

He struggled against her, his eyes wide, but Paine would not be thrown off him. In no time at all, it seemed, his eyes rolled back and he fainted. Paine shoved away from him, and he collapsed into a heap onto the ground.

"Humph," Leblanc stared down at his unconscious form haughtily. "Serves him right."

Logos smirked and eyed Paine contemptuously. "He's stronger than he looks, you say?"

Ormi joined in on their fun as well. "Maybe we should lock him up in one of 'em cells an' give him a taste of his own medicine."

Paine glared furiously at the man. "Attempt it and you'll join him!" _That_ remark shut Ormi up _very_ quickly. She looked at Yuna, who stared back at her in astonishment. "Sorry. I'm going ahead."

"You have your reasons," Yuna quietly acknowledged. Paine nodded.

"Fill us in later, 'kay?" Rikku suggested cooperatively.

Paine nodded again. "Much later." She started down the corridor that Baralai had attempted to defend.

"Wait up!" Rikku started after her quickly, as did Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. Yuna followed as well, but with a heavy heart. She couldn't help but be afraid. With so many things woven together… what could be waiting where the threads meet?

These corridors just looked so familiar… Yuna was certain she had seen them before… but where?

_She could see a strange green mist… And through it, she was running… Running with _him_…_

Yuna stopped short, her heart bursting through her breast. This was the place in her dream! Her nightmare! These were the corridors through which they had fled! Fled from soldiers who would shoot them to their deaths!

She trembled, trying to see past her tears. And as the corridor opened up into yet another giant chamber, she stiffly walked passed the Syndicate, wondering what to expect next.

She never would have guessed.

They were standing in the very room from the sphere Leblanc had shown them. They were standing on a ramp that led up to a circular dais that was not even a foot off the ground. Above their heads was the circular iron landing with its several platforms jutting towards the center… A center where a huge piece of machina was no where to be seen.

Instead, in both its place, and the place where the second – much larger – dais had been set, there was nothing. Just a terribly large and disarrayed hole on the floor – as if something had ripped and tore and literally _forced_ its way down – like a mole burrowing into the ground. It was _huge_… and foreboding.

Before any of them could say or think much of anything, the ground around them began to tremble, and there was a loud, loud, _thunderous_ shriek.

"What's that?" Leblanc demanded, fearfully.

As if in answer to her cry, a great beast rose up from the depths of that hole before them. Outlined in a shining silvery light, it was one of the most _magnificent_ of creatures any of the six had _ever_ seen before. It had a powerful bluish black body with two great wings of red and yellow that stretched out behind it and lifted it up into the air above them. Its eyes were red, its claws long, sharp, and yellow. Its tail was long like its neck, thickly powerful, and graceful. It shrieked as it stared down at them, and they could see its muscles rippling as it prepared to unleash some kind of an all powerful attack.

Rikku fell back several steps as recognition filled her mind. "No way…"

"What is it?" Paine demanded, drawing her sword even as Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi fell back towards the corridor in pure unspeakable terror.

"It's an Aeon!" Rikku cried, looking wildly at Yuna. Paine followed the Al Bhed's gaze, and could see both astonished fear and turmoil in the Summoner's eyes.

_This was…_ Tears silently slid down Yuna's face. "An Aeon…"

Without thinking, she rushed forward. She pushed past a shocked Paine and stumbled towards Bahamut. Running forward until she was standing upon that circular dais, she extended both her arms out, left and right, like a cross. "You must stop!"

_"You must stop!" A woman cried, throwing out her arms right and left._

Yuna blinked past her tears. She was a Summoner… Bahamut was an Aeon… He would listen to her. He had to…

_Please…_

"You wanna get killed?" Paine demanded furiously, running up behind Yuna and pushing her back towards Rikku. "We have no choice!" She turned back towards Bahamut with her sword drawn.

The Aeon shrieked and violently flew down towards the ground. When he landed, the entire room shook from the impact.

Yuna stumbled, and Rikku was just _barely_ able to catch her without either of them falling to the ground.

They wouldn't be able to fight, Paine realized. They were in too much shock.

Turning, the sphere hunter slashed her blade at the beast. But he gracefully moved out of the way, and Paine numbly realized that the Garment she was in at that moment would be useless against such a foe.

Touching a sphere on her belt, she switched into her own Black Mage Garment. The ribbons faded, and Paine was in a black jester's garment, with a magician's hat on her head. She immediately unleashed the power coursing through her veins, and four spells hit Bahamut at once.

Flames…

Electricity…

Ice…

Waves…

They poured against Bahamut without mercy. The monster shrieked its anger, sending white light streaming from his mouth towards Paine at a speed she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge… and with such power, she knew she wouldn't be able to survive.

Not without relying on yet another sphere, anyway. Ribbons of light came once again and faded once again, leaving Paine dressed in a white garment with a staff in her hands. A White Mage, she cast up a barrier that successfully prevented Bahamut's deadly beam from harming her.

Both the shield and the beam canceled out, leaving Paine exposed to the Aeon's brutal fore leg. It crashed against her, sending her flying heavily across the room, and dangerously close to the edge of the hole.

Thinking her out of the way, Bahamut turned back towards Yuna, his red eyes glowing scarlet. She stared up at him, sensing so much… betrayal… Hurt…

_To stop Sin, we sacrificed the Aeons… After they helped us make it to the end… I betrayed them…_ Yuna closed her eyes. Maybe… now… she could find _him_ again.

But as Paine lay motionless on the ground, her body battered and bent, she summoned the strength within her to cast one last spell. To heal herself.

The time for giving up had not yet come.

Feeling a warmth wash over her, and feeling her pain fade away, the sphere hunter touched yet another sphere on her belt. The light that burst around her caught Bahamut's attention, and he glared back at Paine unappreciatively.

Paine was standing as a Dark Knight now. She was dressed completely in black metal armor, and she was not happy.

Once again drawing her sword, she vaulted into the air before the Aeon with a speed that caught even _it_ off guard. Summoning the power within her, she brought the blade down on the creature's shoulder. It just barely broke through Bahamut's scaly hide – but it did so enough for her next spell to flow from her mind through her blade and into the dragon's blood.

_Break…_ she willed with all her heart. And as she landed in a squat on the ground once more, Bahamut grew painfully still. Petrified. He hung suspended in the air, unable to move or fight.

Paine stood up, bringing her hand down to rest on one last sphere. A special sphere. Designed particularly for her.

Ribbons of purple light erupted around her, and she felt her Garment transforming warmly against her body. She gracefully spun, twirling in a small circle to lessen the force of such a transformation. Eventually, she found herself dressed in smooth black leather. Metallic wings stretched out from her back – each individual feather a cold black blade. Above her head, six swords were floating in a circle, blades pointing outward towards each corner of an invisible hexagon.

Power flooded through her body. Each drop of blood beneath her skin resonated from it. And when she turned to face Bahamut, she was not in the least bit intimidated.

"Assoil," she whispered.

Several beams of brilliant silver light rained down on Bahamut. The attack was of such pure, holy energy that the Aeon simply could not resist it.

He burst into a light of his own. It was not like Sending fiends. Not at all. There were no yellowy green bubbles that resembled pyreflies. No. The light this time came as dust. Brilliant, sparkling dust that was of a most beautiful bluish purple. Paine had never seen anything like it before.

But Yuna and Rikku had. And there were tears in both of their eyes as that familiar, painful light faded, leaving behind not a trace of Bahamut. Not even a sign that he had ever even been there.

For several minutes, no one moved.

And then, Paine transformed back into her regular garment as Yuna slid to her knees.

"Why is this happening?" she asked in a broken voice. _And why can't _he_ be here with me? I wish that he was…_ Tears silently fell down her face, and she clenched her eyes shut, trying desperately to hold them back.

Rikku stood perfectly still as Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi slowly edged forward, unable to _comprehend_ what they had just witnessed.

Paine walked over to Yuna and knelt down beside her. She gently and comfortingly placed a hand on the Summoner's shoulder, before quietly helping her back up onto her feet.

"Thank you, Paine," Yuna said quietly, without meeting the sphere hunter's eyes. "You were right. We had to fight it, didn't we?"

"It doesn't matter," Paine reassured her. "It isn't natural for a Summoner to have to fight her own Aeon. It isn't right."

Yuna broke away from her then, and walked to the edge of the hole. She couldn't… she couldn't think about what had happened. It hurt too much. Better to focus on what they had actually come here for. "This hole was made recently."

"You think it was Vegnagun?" Rikku asked as she and the rest of their companions joined her at its edge. The Al Bhed was desperate for a distraction herself… and this was the only one. "Unreal… How deep do you think it goes?" Her voice was tight with fear… not fascination.

No one else could tell.

"I must report to Noojie-Woojie at once," Leblanc declared, recovering from the terrifying encounter first, and unable to appreciate the delicacy of the situation surrounding the Gullwings. She turned towards her two henchmen. "Boys, record this. Don't miss a single detail!"

"Yes, boss!" they both agreed, pulling out blank spheres to set about their assigned task. Within moments, they were scouting around the room, recording as much of the chamber as possible.

"Vegnagun," Paine looked back down into the dark depths of the hole in the middle of the floor. "Was it really here?"

Yuna didn't answer, but slowly moved away from the three other women. She walked along the edge of the enormous fissure, staring down into a bleak, unending, eternal pit while a million thoughts flooded through her mind at the same time.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The Eternal Calm… She could almost feel it crumbling, falling away from beneath her feet.

Something sparkled in the light, a few feet down into the hole. Pausing, Yuna realized that there was a sphere there, dangerously close to rolling down into the burrow. A crimson sphere, no less. One of Paine's.

She knelt down and picked it up into her hands, wondering at its presence. Not to mention at its contents.

But Yuna knew she wouldn't watch it. She knew from experience that watching spheres that didn't belong to her often complicated things. She would give it to Paine… and respect the sphere hunter's privacy.

"Yuna!"

The Summoner stood, and looked back at Rikku, who had called her frantically.

"We just got a transmission from Brother!" the Al Bhed informed her. "He wants us back to the airship on the double!"

And so Yuna returned to her friends. And together, they made their way out of the terrible chamber, leaving behind the three Syndicate members – for Logos and Ormi were not yet done recording the mess, and they were not yet ready to leave.

**ooooooo**


	31. Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings

**ooooooo**

It didn't take the Gullwings _that_ long to make their way out of Bevelle. Nevertheless, they had rarely ever seen Brother so frantic with impatience. Of course, it didn't help matters that an alarm was sounding urgently in the background, and Rikku was the only one who could effectively shut it off.

"What's going on?" she demanded as she took her spot in the co-captain's chair and worked the familiar controls to her allies' relief.

"Trouble, and I mean big time!" Buddy spoke over Brother's unintelligible ranting. "Fiends are pouring out of the Temples."

Yuna started at that. They already knew that fiends were crawling around inside the Temple of Bevelle. Was it the same with other Temples around Spira?

"Which ones?" Rikku demanded.

"Only all of them!" Brother was finally able to speak a coherent sentence. "It's a freakin' state of emergency! What should we do?"

None of the Gullwings immediately answered. Instead, they glanced around at each other in confusion. Paine and Shinra were the only two who didn't seem in the slightest bit concerned – though Paine _was_ good at hiding her inner thoughts, and who knew _what_ was going on underneath that gas mask Shinra always wore.

The whole situation was like none they had ever dealt with before. Fiends in the Temples! The very thought was absurd. How did it happen? And why?

Did it have something to do with Bahamut? Yuna closed her eyes and tried to take several calming breaths.

"Is it Gullwing time?" Brother demanded. No one bothered to remind him that _he_ was captain, and therefore, that decision was up to him.

Instead, Shinra just shrugged. "Not exactly sphere hunter work."

Yuna glanced at the boy, and a part of her just wanted to scream at him: But there are fiends in the Temples! They _should_ do something… anything…

Buddy came to her rescue. "But seeing Yuna out there could calm people down."

Paine shook her head and scoffed. "They'll expect her to do the dirty work."

_That's right…_ Yuna glanced at Paine and wondered… _Am I a Summoner…? Or a sphere hunter…? Now is the time when I _must_ make up my mind…_

"But Yunie wants to help…" Rikku said softly, looking at her cousin. "Don't you…?"

Yuna looked down. After everything that happened underneath Bevelle… _I just want to find _him_ again… Is that too much to ask?_

Rikku sighed. And then, practically jumped out of her chair in excitement. "Hey! I got an idea! We can be 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings!'"

Everyone looked at her in astonishment and she eagerly nodded her head.

Buddy bit his lip. "You mean… taking out fiends and charging for it?" Rikku nodded her head again and everyone considered. It would allow Yuna to help the people of Spira – as she had always done, and even still felt compelled to do – but without coming across, as Leblanc had put it, as a "goody-goody."

Slowly, a smile lit Brother's face. "E mega ed!" I like it!

The idea even seemed to satisfy Paine! She looked at Yuna with crossed arms and a smug smile. "What do you think?"

"Well, why not?" Yuna quickly agreed. "If that means we can help out people who are in trouble, then sure!"

"Right!" Rikku seemed happy, but then she frowned, and looked almost apologetically at the Summoner. "This means sphere hunting's on hold."

Yuna nodded. "I know." _But don't worry… I'm not giving up yet._

"It's decided!" Brother said firmly. "Where to?"

Rikku sat back down in her chair. "I'll throw out an ad and see if we get any immediate responses."

But as she started working on it, another alarm suddenly went off. Rikku squealed and once again nearly jumped out of her chair in surprise. "That's not mine!"

"No, it's mine," Buddy confirmed, walking over to his navigator's chair and sitting down to shut off the alarm. At the same time, he took in the information that was even now pouring across his screen. "Wait a sec…" A look of worry drew across his face.

"Rinno ib!" Brother impatiently urged his friend, ordering him to hurry up. Everyone was looking at the navigator now, wondering at this new and unknown twist.

"What could this mean?" Buddy turned towards the rest of the Gullwings. "Meyvn Nooj of the Youth League… and Baralai, Praetor of New Yevon… are gone. They've both disappeared."

Paine's mouth opened ever so slightly as color drained from her face. She remembered that, as they had made their out of the corridors beneath the Temple in Bevelle, Baralai's body had been missing… She had assumed that he had regained consciousness and left… Which had comforted her greatly, for she _had_ been concerned that the Syndicate would try something if he had still been lying there on _their_ way out. But now… where was he? And what about Nooj? What was going on?

Brother considered Buddy's words for a second. "Fascinating." And then he just shrugged it off. "All right. Never mind. Now, Friendly Neighboring Gullwings… where to?"

Paine narrowed her eyes at their captain's lack of concern for two men who were, despite everything, her very close friends. Without a word, she turned on her heel and made her way out of the cockpit. And Brother was too dense to even realize why.

**ooooooo**

She stood alone in the airship's cabin, up on the loft. In her hands were her two most recently collected crimson spheres. The one she had taken in Chateau Leblanc… and the one that Yuna had given her on their way out of the Temple.

Paine didn't know how to express her gratitude to the Summoner. Gratitude for finding the sphere… and gratitude for not watching it, or pressing her for details. Yuna was a good friend. Possibly the best Paine had ever had.

She turned on the first sphere and set it down on the bed. The image that it recorded was dark and completely distorted. Paine couldn't make it out at all. But she _could_ hear it. And she _did_ recognize it.

She had been separated from the others… inside the Den of Woe… Aside from the sounds of her running… her heavy breathing… and her frightened, choked sobs… all was quiet. She was alone… and as far as she had known at the time… she might have been the only one left alive.

"Guys!" she cried out into the suffocating darkness. "Where are you?"

The recording ended. Paine stoically picked up the sphere and put it back on her belt before placing down the other sphere on the bed and turning it on.

This time, the image _was_ visible. Clear and distinct… as if it had been recorded yesterday.

The Crimson Squad candidates were standing at attention outside the Den of Woe. Maester Kinoc was there as well, with several of his men intently watching.

The Maester began to speak words that even today still resonated in Paine's ears… haunting her… distressing her. "This is the final exercise. We've reports of something extremely dangerous inside this cave, but we lack more detailed information."

"We're to eliminate it?"

Baralai. Always a step ahead of the rest, offering a hundred and ten percent to any exercise, mission, or request that might have ever been set upon his shoulders. Where was he now? Paine closed her eyes.

"No," Kinoc had been quick to respond. "You are simply to investigate. Report your findings back to me. Those who return here alive will become formal members of the Crimson Squad."

"Sir!" The idea appealed to everyone.

"There aren't enough weapons for all of you," Kinoc suddenly said, as if it were an afterthought. "Claiming a weapon for yourself will be part of this exercise."

_That_ remark had certainly caught a lot of candidates by surprise. Paine remembered, and could see in the image, how everyone looked around in confusion, and whispered amongst themselves in astonishment.

But once again, Kinoc cut them short. "This is it, gentlemen. You have your orders. Begin."

Almost immediately, fighting had broken out. People struggled to gain weaponry, while others made their way cautiously inside the Den of Woe. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal had been among the first.

They carefully went in… and Paine had followed. Shortly after, the real chaos erupted. Much of it was still a blur to Paine. People had begun firing their weapons. At each other! Killing each other! Screaming! Bleeding… dying…

The recording ended. And Paine was left with no clearer picture of what had happened back then than she had had ten minutes ago.

Kinoc had ordered the Crimson Squad candidates into the Den of Woe to investigate the reports of something dangerous. Anyone who made it out alive would become Crimson Squad members.

But no one was supposed to make it out alive. For some reason, the candidates had turned on each other. Had killed each other. And Paine had been separated from her three closest friends.

The four of them were the only ones to have survived. The Yevonites had figured that out, and had set about to the task of fixing it. Paine, Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal were not meant to have lived, and for awhile there, they had been hunted.

There was so much that Paine still did not understand.

"Paine…?"

The sphere hunter looked around and saw Yuna climbing up the ladder and into the loft. She turned and quickly reclaimed the sphere, positioning it back in its spot on her belt.

"Rikku's already had a few responses," Yuna told the other woman. "Looks like people _are_ willing to pay for our help around Spira. We're going to the Mi'ihen Highroad first. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Temples or the fiends, but they've been having problems, too. Seems some machina are on the rampage."

Paine turned with a nod, and started towards the ladder. The two of them climbed down.

"Yuna-" Paine looked at the Summoner then, almost desperately. There was so much she wanted to share with someone… _any_one… At that moment… she just wanted a confidant more than anything else in the world.

"Yes?" Yuna waited expectantly. And patiently.

But then… Paine wasn't ready. She shook her head, changing her mind, and started towards the cockpit.

**ooooooo**

"Let's mangle those machina and take the reward!" Rikku exclaimed exuberantly as the three women ran out of the Celsius and into the Highroad. It was a glorious day, with such warm weather and a perfectly clear blue sky that no one would have guessed that, in fact, _most_ people considered the day to be one of fear and terror.

For though there were few, if any, fiends about the Highroad, there were _several_ large pieces of machina equipment completely out of control and causing _loads _of havoc. They might well have been fiends themselves!

The worst part about it was that there seemed to be no shelter anywhere. The Travel Agency was in a ruin. And many of the other small structures and abandoned edifices alongside the road were not much better off.

People were cowering and finding refuge wherever they could – though many had already given up and fled either to Luca or along the Mushroom Rock Road towards Djose. Things were not looking up.

As Rikku, Yuna, and Paine glanced around the Highroad, quickly taking in as much as possible in under thirty seconds, they could clearly make out a hover lying in pieces along the ground. Mixed into the rubble was a body… Yuna pursed her lips, growing tense. Already people were dying…

"Looks like the engine exploded," Rikku said softly. "The hover went down…" She scurried over to the machina to get a closer look.

But before she could, a great, large, spidery looking thing crested a hill and shot towards the Al Bhed.

"Rikku!" Yuna shouted.

"Huh?" The girl's head shot up and she saw the machina right as it jumped into the sky above her. She gritted her teeth and pulled free her daggers. As the machina came down on her, she plunged the blades into its system before completely tearing vital wiring to bits. Sparks flew, but they didn't bother Rikku, who twisted her body and literally threw the thing off her and to the ground. It didn't get back up.

"Man," she grumbled. "Something tells me this is gonna be a day of destroying fine art."

"Art?" Paine asked with a small smile.

Rikku nodded with something of a pout. "Machina's the best art in Spira!" She glanced back at her two friends. "Try not to make too much rubble. If we're careful, maybe a lot of it can be salvageable."

"Salvageable?" Paine demanded. "Rikku, the machina are killing people!"

"Watch out!" Yuna shouted, pulling free one of her guns as yet another large machina-like fiend came at them. She fired three times, stopped, reloaded, and fired again.

"Yunie!" Rikku cried as the bullets penetrated the machina's smooth surface and ripped it apart. "What did I just tell you?"

Yuna smiled. "Sorry, Rikku."

The Al Bhed did not look convinced, and spent much of the next few hours grumbling as they worked to shoot, smash, and destroy whatever machina there was along the Mi'ihen Highroad causing mayhem.

**ooooooo**

Before long, things started to calm down. And once the Gullwings on board the Celsius had scanned the Highroad for disruptive machina, only to find that there were none left, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were satisfied that their job was done.

They met the woman who had called them for help outside the Travel Agency. All around them, they could already see men and women working to clean up the mess, gather the bodies, and just commence with the reconstruction.

"Thank you for all your help," the woman said sincerely. "Here's your reward as promised." She handed Paine some gil – though not too much, for the Gullwings had set an extremely generous low price – and a sphere.

"What's this?" Paine asked, looking down at the sphere in surprise.

"You're sphere hunters, aren't you?" the woman asked. "Please take it. We feel like we owe you a lot more than you've charged."

Paine shrugged, and tossed it on her belt.

Rikku hopped forward. "So what made the machina go all haywire?"

"None of us can figure it out," the woman said, shaking her head in complete perplexity. "Pretty creepy, huh?"

"I'll say," Yuna nodded. She glanced at Rikku. "Machina are machines, right? Do they usually just come alive like that? Develop minds of their own?"

"It depends on how sensitive they are," Rikku said with a shrug.

"Vegnagun apparently did," Paine pointed out.

"We found the Agency property pretty smashed up this morning," the woman told them. "Then the hover crashed. Just when we were about to look into _that_, the machina went out of control!"

"Well," Yuna sighed. "If you find anything out, be sure and give the Gullwings a call."

"Of course, Lady Summoner," the woman said, bowing her head.

Yuna closed her eyes again, and glanced at Rikku and Paine. "Ready to head back?"

Paine nodded her head rather curtly, and the three of them started towards the airship. Rikku was feeling slightly dejected.

"We stopped the machina, but didn't get any answers," she grumbled. "That's not a very feel-good ending, now was it?" She thought about the man who had died when the hover had crashed. And for some reason, she couldn't get that image out of her head. They had stopped the machina… but they hadn't saved the day… All in all, it wasn't a very encouraging way for the Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings to start out.

Paine didn't seem to be that all affected. "People who want happy endings have to write their own."

Yuna looked over at the sphere hunter. And though Paine didn't _seem_ affected, Yuna could see a sorrow in her eyes.

"What about me?" Rikku asked quietly. "I want a happy ending, too!"

"We all want happy endings," Yuna whispered. "They're just so hard to find…"

**ooooooo**


	32. Typical Gippal

**ooooooo**

Mushroom Rock Road was the next stop of the Gullwings' list. Yaibal had made the call shortly after they had landed in Mi'ihen, and Yuna hoped they had managed to hold out okay while waiting.

The Celsius landed outside Youth League Headquarters, and the three women piled out in time to see Yaibal instructing several younger men handling large pieces of machina. Everything seemed quiet, more or less.

Yaibal turned towards the Gullwings as they approached.

"Gullwings here!" Yuna said needlessly. "We're sorry for making you wait. Where are the fiends?"

"No need for concern, Lady Yuna," Yaibal told her warmly. "Everything's under control."

"Really?" Rikku asked, though it _did_ certainly look that way. Yuna tilted her head in confusion.

"The fiends _did_ get close to Headquarters," Yaibal explained. "But thankfully, no farther. The Al Bhed from Djose assisted us in fighting them off."

In other words, the Gullwings had been busy, so Yaibal had looked for help elsewhere. But from the Al Bhed in Djose? _That_ caught both Paine _and_ Rikku's attention.

"So, is Gippal _here_?" Rikku asked, trying to sound casual. But underneath, she was suddenly hopeful that maybe the Al Bhed was still hanging around, and that she could have a chance to talk to him.

But Yaibal shook his head. "Gippal _was_ here." Rikku looked away in disappointment. "His group brought us these machina." He gestured to the equipment behind him, and then he frowned, looking back at Yuna. "You know, he said something which still strikes me as sort of odd."

Yuna frowned, and glanced at Rikku and Paine, but they could only shrug curiously. Needless to say, they seemed almost _more_ interested by Yaibal's words than Yuna felt. What odd thing had Gippal said? They were most eager to find out.

"He told us not to depend on you so much, Lady Yuna," Yaibal informed the Summoner.

"Me?" Of all the things Gippal could have said, _that_ was the _last_ thing Yuna had expected.

"He said we need to rely on our own strength to defend Spira through the coming age."

Yuna wasn't sure whether she should feel grateful for Gippal's words, for respecting her desire to live an ordinary life without the pressures of being High Summoner, or offended. Mostly, she felt unwanted. Useless. What would she _possibly_ do if Spira turned out to be in very real danger, and she was not allowed to help protect it?

_I'll always be more Summoner than sphere hunter…_

"Typical Gippal," Rikku scowled. "I could _so_ slam a machina over his head. He always has to play the tough, I-can-do-everything-by-myself-with-no-help-from-you, guy. It's infuriating!"

Despite everything, Yuna smiled.

"Lady Yuna, if I may interrupt," Lucil was suddenly walking towards the group from a tent. She glanced at Yaibal, but still addressed the Summoner. "There is something I would like to ask you."

"Sure," Yuna agreed as Yaibal bowed his head and turned back to the boys working the machina behind him. The three Gullwings then followed the Youth League Commander away.

"As you are probably aware," Lucil said as she led them inside a large, but abandoned, red tent. "We have not heard from Meyvn Nooj, our leader, in some time."

Buddy had said as much. Nooj and Baralai were both missing. The leaders of the two greatest political parties in Spira were both missing.

At one time in their friendship, Paine would have labeled them both as responsible. Things certainly did change.

"Lady Yuna," Lucil looked almost pleadingly at the Summoner. "Have you no information as to his whereabouts?"

Yuna sighed. _How could she?_ "I'm sorry, but we don't know anymore than you do."

"I see," Lucil looked down.

"If we see him," Yuna said quickly, hoping to reassure the woman as best she could. "We'll tell him to return here."

That seemed to satisfy Lucil somewhat. She nodded. "Thank you."

After that, the three Gullwings started back towards the Celsius.

"We should go to Djose," Paine told them quietly as they trudged over the hard, rocky soil.

"What for?" Rikku demanded bitterly, crossing her arms. "We didn't get a request for help from there, and Gippal's already caused us to waste time by helping out here before we could! He's not worth it." Her words fooled neither Yuna nor Paine. Rikku wanted to go to Djose. She wanted to see Gippal. Even if she wouldn't admit it.

"Nooj and Baralai have both gone missing," Paine reminded the Al Bhed. "And Gippal is the third major leader in Spira. He might know something." _Especially considering the history between the three of them… _But Paine wasn't about to bring _that_ up.

Rikku sighed. "Fine. Let's be off to Djose."

Needless to say, Brother was a _lot_ more difficult to persuade than Rikku was.

"Gippal stole our work at Youth League Headquarters!" the captain objected rather loudly, to the others' great amusement – and Rikku's great exasperation. "He gets all the action! We'll give him no attention for it!"

"We have something important to ask him!" Rikku loudly insisted.

"What?" Brother demanded. "If he'd be so kind as to pay us the money we _would_ have charged the Youth League, had he not interfered?"

"Frah tet oui kad cu knaato?" Rikku was arguing in Al Bhed now.

"Fro yna oui cu ehcecdahd uh caaehk dra zang yhofyo?" Brother demanded.

"Ra'c hud y zang! Hud ymfyoc, yhofyo…"

"Enough," Paine interrupted. She glared pointedly at Brother. Almost threateningly. "We're going to Djose."

The Al Bhed hesitated, looked at Rikku, looked back at Paine, and finally looked at Yuna. "What say you, Yuna?"

She nodded. "Let's go!"

"Okay, we're off!" Brother agreed, and turned the Celsius towards Djose.

**ooooooo**

Gippal was standing at the foot of the Djose Temple, talking with three other Al Bhed men, when the Gullwings arrived and made their way up to him. He _had_ been wearing a pretty solemn expression – one that Rikku did not recognize, and one that Paine had only seen in the most dire of Crimson Squad exercises… particularly the last one… In any event, it looked like his day was going about as well as the sphere hunter's.

However, when he happened to turn his head and took in the sight of Rikku practically skipping up to him, he forcibly brightened his countenance. Whether he was or was not pleased to see the girl, Paine didn't know, but she _did_ know he was attempting to hide from her his own distress.

_He's gonna try protecting her from whatever it is that's got him worried,_ Paine realized. Typical Gippal.

"Hey," he said rather cheerfully as the three of them reached him and his companions. "It's Cid's little girl!" He reached out and playfully shoved her head. She objected loudly, swatting his hands away.

"I have a name!"

"Right," Gippal chuckled, pulling away from her. "And claws." Rikku pouted.

"You seem close," Yuna observed quietly, even as Paine smirked and the other Al Bhed grinned at the scene Gippal and Rikku were creating. But at Yuna's words, Rikku tensed, and opened her mouth ever so slightly as color drained from her face.

Gippal smiled impishly. "We made quite the couple."

The color in Rikku's face returned very quickly and very brightly. A small, horrified gasp escaped her lips, and she rushed defensively towards Gippal and made to push him, as if hoping to shove the words back in his mouth so that no one could have heard them. Gippal, however, remained steadily on his feet and grasped Rikku's arms, firmly holding her upright, and releasing her only as she shoved away from him. He was grinning and she was pouting again. "Fryd yna oui cyoehk?" What are you saying?

Gippal shook his head, amused. "Rikku's always good for a laugh."

She crossed her arms, _clearly_ offended. Clearly…

Gippal sighed.

And then he looked at Paine. For a brief moment, his prior concern darkened his face again, and Paine could tell that, if he was at all relieved to see the Gullwings there, it was only because it assured him that Paine wasn't missing along with Nooj and Baralai.

Gippal wasn't sure he'd be able to handle being the only one of the four left standing… despite his reputation.

Paine wondered if he knew she felt the same way.

But then that moment ended, and Gippal was his typical, nonchalant self once again. He waved a hand at the Gullwings. "If you're here about digging, this isn't the best time."

"Well, there are fiends here too, right?" Rikku asked. "Want us to clean up for you?" There was a challenge in her voice. They all understood its unspoken message: We'd be glad to do it, if you aren't man enough.

Gippal, however, stared at Rikku as if uncertain she was being serious or not. When he decided that she was, only Paine managed to see the short flicker of alarm pass through his eyes at the thought of Rikku hunting fiends. It vanished quickly, but it had definitely been there.

The last time Gippal had checked, Rikku was just a thirteen year old girl! And though he was _perfectly_ aware that she had been Yuna's Guardian, and had helped defeat Sin two years ago, and was absolutely capable of handling herself in dire circumstances, he just couldn't let go of that picture of her… She was too young to be fighting fiends! For some reason, the thought of Rikku – Cid's little, _little_, girl – getting hurt terrified him.

"Fiend hunting?" Somehow, Gippal managed to keep his voice composed. "What, you guys give up the sphere gig?" _Say no. Say no, and that it's all just a joke…_

"Temporarily," Yuna said casually. "Right now, we're helping people out. Maybe…" She thought for a second, and then decided to edge the guy on. "You'd like to hire us?"

Gippal looked from Yuna to Rikku. Then he glanced at Paine, and she could tell he was doing some _very_ fast thinking. How best might he get Rikku away from the fiends inside his Temple without angering her? And how best might he tell Yuna that _he_ wasn't the kind of guy who kept turning to other people for help when in a bad fix?

By telling them the same thing he had told Yaibal earlier.

"Nope!" He practically clapped his hands. "You already took care of Sin. We can't go running to you every time we get into trouble."

At that moment, Yuna wanted nothing more than to angrily shout: Don't deny me this chance to help! But she didn't, because Gippal was suddenly walking towards her, and any and all snappy come-backs got caught in her throat.

"Hmph," Gippal was practically looking down at her. "I watch my own back."

"Hmph," Rikku crossed her arms and bitterly – or disappointedly – looked aside. "Show off."

Typical Gippal. Paine couldn't remember the last time she had ever wanted so much to laugh out loud. She couldn't help but smile softly.

As if sensing it, he glanced at her, and for a minute, they just stared at each other, longing for that time when they had been able to talk and joke and laugh. That time… which had past away two years ago. Would they ever recover it?

No. Not until Nooj and Baralai wanted it as much as the two of them did.

Gippal remembered the last time he had seen Paine, here in Djose. She had not acknowledged their friendship. He sensed that, if he brought it up now, she would react differently. She seemed ready to, here. But Gippal also knew that he wasn't about to be the one to bring it up. That was up to Paine.

So it's needless to say that he was relieved when she asked: "What do you know about Nooj and Baralai's disappearance?"

He turned to her, almost hungrily. "I haven't heard anything. Not yet, anyway. Have you?"

Paine shook her head. "Be careful."

"Yeah," Gippal nodded. "You, too." After something so final as 'Be careful,' he sensed it would be awkward to expect anything more from her. So he sighed, and let it go. He looked at Yuna, appearing to blatantly ignore Rikku. It earned him another 'hmph' from her. "I'm guessing you three are investigating this. Let me know if you learn anything."

"Right," Yuna assured him.

"Come on," Paine suggested, and the three women turned back towards the airship.

Gippal stood there and silently watched them leave. And even after they were gone, he remained there for some time… regretting that none of them had even bothered to say good bye.

**ooooooo**


	33. The Gaol Sphere

**ooooooo**

As the three women climbed back into the Celsius, they were almost immediately greeted at the entrance by Buddy.

"Hey guys, we just got-" he stopped short and glanced quickly at Rikku. "Did you learn anything about Nooj and Baralai?"

Rikku scoffed in discontent. "No."

"That's a shame," Buddy shrugged. "Anyway," he looked at Paine. "We just got data for yet another sphere. According to Shinra's sphere analysis, it's of the same kind as your crimson ones."

Paine felt her heart beat quicken. "You've found one of my spheres?"

"Yeah," Buddy nodded. "We're debating whether or not we should continue with the Friendly Neighborhood stuff or go back to sphere hunting for the time being."

"Not for the time being," Rikku objected. "Just for the one time! Where's the sphere?"

Buddy hesitated, and then rubbed the back of his head rather sheepishly. "That's the thing… the data pinpoints the sphere directly inside Chateau Leblanc."

For a moment, the three women just stared at him.

And then Yuna smiled. "Then let's go to Guadosalam. What are we waiting for?"

"Yeah!" Rikku eagerly agreed, quickly removing all thoughts of Gippal from her mind. And though Paine couldn't do _that_, she did nod her head in agreement, and so it was decided. The Celsius started once again towards the Leblanc Syndicate's headquarters.

It didn't take them long to get there. And once they had arrived in Guadosalam, it took them even less time to make their way inside the manor – as the front door was left both unlocked and unguarded. Leblanc was getting careless.

There was no one in the front hall of the manor. For all the three Gullwings knew, the entire place might have been abandoned.

Rikku pulled her sphere locator off her belt and stared at it. "Hmm. There's definitely more than one sphere in this place."

Paine rolled her eyes. "This is Chateau Leblanc. What did you expect?"

"Right," Rikku grinned sheepishly, and made for the double doors leading into the banquet hall. Yuna and Paine followed her closely behind.

Ever so carefully, Rikku quietly opened one of the two doors just an inch in order to peek inside. And, for the first time, they heard a voice that did not belong to any of them.

"Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about."

Peering inside, the three women could only make out Logos and Ormi. But if it had been one of _them_ speaking, the voice _surely_ sounded twisted.

And Logos sounded dissatisfied. "Not even close."

It had been Ormi speaking then, and he had been trying to sound like someone else. He crossed his arms as if affronted. "Let's see _you_ do it, then!"

Immediately, Logos was clearing his throat. "Leblanc, there's nothing to worry about."

Ormi let out a loud shriek of reptilian laughter. "Look who's talking!"

And Yuna found that she just couldn't take it anymore, or risk dying of her own laughter. She carefully pushed past Rikku and made her way inside the room. "What are you doing?"

Logos and Ormi both jumped in surprise before spinning around to find the Gullwing. A moment later, Rikku and Paine joined her, and the three squared off against the two.

But then, Logos just seemed to give up, and he shook his head with a sigh. Either he hoped that their unlikely alliance in Bevelle hadn't yet expired, or he was feeling as lax as the rest of the Syndicate seemed to be that day.

"The boss has been rather… depressed since Nooj went missing," he admitted. Go figure.

"We wants to comfort her, see?" Ormi continued.

Rikku frowned. But a moment later, she was hopping up and down in understanding. "Oh! Was that supposed to be Nooj?"

No wonder their voices had sounded so twisted. Paine honestly couldn't imagine _anyone_ pulling off _his_ voice. It was so cold, so powerful, penetrating, charismatic, and so much more, all at once. It would be impossible to mimic. And _they_ were both fools to try.

Rikku apparently agreed, for she was laughing and shaking her head at the two.

Logos was rightly discouraged. "That bad, was it?"

"Yep," Yuna and Rikku said at exactly the same time.

The two buffoons sighed rather dramatically. It was a truly pathetic sight. And yet, Paine couldn't help but feel pity for them – they _were_, despite everything else, well meaning.

"Even if you did sound like Nooj, do you think it would actually help?" she asked.

"It would!" the two of them insisted.

Paine scoffed. "Whatever you say."

At that moment, there was a knock on the double doors behind them. The Gullwings and the Syndicate captains both looked over at it in time to see another Syndicate goon stick his head inside curiously.

"What is it?" Logos demanded tightly.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir," the goon said quickly, before gesturing at someone behind him to follow. Almost immediately, a wizened elderly man with a pointed white beard and moustache, wrinkled skin, and a bent back, made his way inside the banquet hall, wearing green robes and a tall green hat upon his head. He stopped short in surprise when he noticed Yuna, and a slow smiled crossed his lips.

"Lady Yuna," he bowed his head in greeting. "It is good to see you again."

"Maechen," Yuna gasped, and quickly turned to welcome him warmly. "It's been such a long time!"

"So it has," he allowed, staring at her hand curiously as she shook his.

"What is this?" Logos growled, uncomfortable around old men in general – but especially around old scholars who knew so much more than he did about, basically, everything.

"He says the Guado gave him free reign of the library here a long time ago," the goon told his superior apologetically. "He doesn't seem to understand that the boss owns this place now."

"Let him see your library!" Rikku boldly commanded. "You should respect your elders!"

Her words presented a problem for Logos. There was no way _he_ was going to obey _her_, but he _certainly_ couldn't come across as disrespectful to his elders – even if he couldn't _stand_ being in their presence…

He glared at the goon. "What says the boss?"

"Nothing!" the goon replied.

Logos sighed and turned to Ormi. "What are we going to do?"

"Maybe…" the goon hesitated, staring curiously at the Gullwings. "Maybe the threat of a little competition would help bring the boss's fight back?"

"Brilliant!" Logos quickly spun towards Yuna. "What do you say?"

"Umm," Yuna hesitated, and looked uncertainly at Rikku and Paine. Were the Gullwings in the business of helping out their rivals?

Certainly not. But the Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings were! She nodded. "We'll do it. For a price."

"Name it!" Ormi impulsively agreed – not that Logos chided him for it at all.

"We're looking for a particular sphere," Yuna said. "Just one. And it's somewhere inside this manor. We'll talk to Leblanc if you allow us to take it."

Logos did not look pleased, but he was in no position to haggle. "Fine."

"All right!" Rikku grinned excitedly. "Let's go!"

The three of them made their way out of the Banquet Hall and upstairs towards Leblanc's bedroom. They didn't even pause to knock on the door before barging right inside.

"Leave me alone," Leblanc instinctively commanded, sitting on her bed with one leg bent up and her arms thrown dejectedly around it as she gazed longingly at Nooj's statue. Paine gawked at the great big thing as if she had never even _seen_ a statue before in her life.

Yuna ignored that, however, and focused instead on Leblanc. The woman certainly looked depressed, and what was _worse_, she looked completely hollow. She was _not_ the Leblanc that the Gullwings knew and resented so well. It was very disconcerting.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

Leblanc started and looked up at the Gullwings in surprise. _They_ were not who she had been expecting at all. But it didn't matter. A moment later she was sulking again. "Horrible. Go away."

Now Yuna really was worried. She looked helplessly over at Rikku, who just shrugged. And when the Summoner gestured for her to say something, she shook her head. Yuna nodded insistently, but Rikku shook her head again, frantically. They continued on like that for a moment, until Rikku finally caved.

"Don't you want to hunt some spheres?" she asked Leblanc, challengingly exuberant. "The Gullwings are gonna get all the spheres in Spira, you know!"

"Fine by me," Leblanc sighed. "There's no point in chasing after spheres if my Noojie-Woojie isn't there to smile. What difference does it make?"

Paine's mouth was open ever so slightly in disgust. "You're a mess."

"Say whatever you want," Leblanc replied, as depressed and lethargic as ever. The Gullwings couldn't even get her angry! It just wasn't like the woman.

"This isn't working," Rikku whispered to Yuna. "We need a Plan B."

Yuna nodded. "How about a tactical retreat?"

"Fine by me," Rikku whispered back and the three of them quietly left Leblanc's chamber.

Upon returning to the Banquet Hall, Rikku wasted no time in informing Logos and Ormi that they've "got a big problem."

"No luck, then?" Logos asked miserably.

"Sorry," Yuna sighed. "You'll have to come up with something else. The Gullwings can handle a rivalry with Leblanc. But this…" She shook her head.

Logos and Ormi sighed in perfect unison.

"What if we showed her a sphere of Nooj?" Ormi then asked thoughtfully.

"Why ask us?" Paine demanded. "Go for it."

A light suddenly seemed to shine of Logos's face. "Of course! That sphere!" Yuna, Rikku, and Paine both looked at the man curiously, and he turned towards them in excitement. "We took one in Bevelle! Care to watch it?"

Yuna hesitated, not knowing what she was getting into. "What's on it?"

"We haven't looked yet!" Logos replied quickly, though he _did_ seem alive now with excitement. "It's in my room! Join us for a little screening?"

Yuna glanced at Rikku and Paine, but neither of them seemed to mind. Then she looked at Maechen, who was still standing nearby and waiting with patient interest. She nodded. "Fine then."

Logos led them over to the secret passage at the far end of the room, and the six of them made their way into the darkened corridor. Yuna helped Maechen through as Rikku held up her locator.

"Oh, wait a minute," she said quickly, staring down at it. "The sphere we're looking for is this way!" She pointed towards a corridor that branched off in the opposite direction from Logos's bedroom.

He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. But Paine didn't care. That sphere belonged to her, and she would reclaim it.

Snatching the locator from Rikku's hand, Paine started down the corridor by herself, leaving the Al Bhed and her cousin standing beside Maechen and the two Syndicate captains.

"The treasure room's down there," Ormi said ungraciously. "She better not take anything else."

"She won't," Yuna assured him. Five minutes later, Paine reappeared with the crimson sphere in hand. She tossed the locator back to Rikku and hung the sphere on her belt before the lot of them turned and headed for Logos's room once more.

Upon entering, Logos sauntered over to his bed and grabbed a sphere off the pillow. Turning, he ever so delicately placed it on the floor and activated it. Within a second, an image materialized above it.

The image was of Leblanc, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine standing together in that chamber beneath the Temple of Bevelle. That chamber… where Vegnagun had been missing… and where Bahamut had attacked them.

As the six of them watched the sphere, the image suddenly zoomed in towards Rikku.

"Ah!" Rikku blinked several times as she watched this progression.

Yuna glared up at Logos. "What's this?"

"Uh…" Logos could see the angry, offended glint in the Summoner's eyes, and felt his face flush. "Ormi shot this. Not me."

Before Ormi could object, a little image of him appeared running towards Leblanc in the recording, proving his innocence.

Paine scoffed. "So I see."

Logos was caught with only one desperate way out. "This must be a dud."

And _that_ remark seemed to offend Rikku more than anything else. "Who you calling a dud?"

"Never mind," Maechen was suddenly leaning towards the image. "What is that?" He pointed at what looked to be only a shadow.

"Huh?" Everyone else in the room followed the old man's finger even as Logos stilled the image. None of them remembered having noticed such a shadow when they had actually _been_ there beneath the Temple. It was practically a miracle that Maechen was there now and could notice it for them.

"It's nothing," Ormi shrugged, even as Logos had the recording image zoom in on it.

"I wouldn't say that," he said in astonishment as, through the shadows, they could all make out a certain face appearing.

"It's Nooj!" Rikku practically shouted in surprise. "What's he doing there?" She glanced uncertainly at Yuna and Paine. "I don't remember seeing him there! Was he there?"

Had he been watching the whole time? From the shadows, where no one had noticed him?

Had he seen Yuna face Bahamut? Had he seen her desperation? Running up to the Aeon, with her arms outstretched, crying out: "You must stop!"? And why was Yuna so afraid of the thought that he had?

_It's too easy to mistake someone for someone else…_

Yuna had no idea why such a thought passed through her mind at that moment. It was like… someone else inside of her was thinking it.

"I don't like it," Paine said softly. Rikku glanced at her in surprise, for Paine was not one to generally make such comments.

"What?" Yuna asked, without looking away from the face in the shadows of the sphere's image.

"All these secrets," Paine replied, looking at her. "It's just one thing after another." _And it doesn't help that _I'm_ keeping secrets, too… About Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal…_

"If I may," Logos interrupted, shutting off the sphere – much to Yuna's relief. He glanced at her and the other two. "You're free to do as you please, but I'd prefer you not mention this to the boss." He sounded so concerned that Yuna wouldn't have questioned him.

But Rikku wasn't Yuna. "Why not?"

Logos sighed and looked down at the sphere in his hands. "Whatever this Vegnagun thing is, it's clearly dangerous. Nothing the likes of we sphere hunters have any business fooling around with. But if the boss knew Nooj were involved, well… there'd be no stopping her. If anything were to happen to her…" Logos was shaking his head miserably.

It was amazing. Learning that people like Logos actually cared for others… other than themselves. It was refreshing to realize that Leblanc had more than just her followers' loyalty. She had their devotion.

"You guys got it rough," Rikku observed. "Don't you?"

Logos sighed, yet again. "If only she noticed."

Paine averted her gaze, and ended up looking at a red sphere sitting on one of Logos's shelves. "Hmm?"

Yuna followed her friend's gaze and saw the sphere as well. "Is that one from Bevelle, too?"

Logos and Ormi both glanced at the sphere on the shelf, and Rikku wasted no time in teasing them about it.

"Ooh," she whispered conspiratorially. "Been taking naughty pictures again?"

Logos's face turned beat red. "I didn't shoot this one!" he said defensively. "I found it!"

"I see," Yuna's curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over to the sphere and put it on the floor, turning it on as she did so.

An image quickly materialized above it. But, as so many spheres seemed to lately, it suffered from terrible static.

Logos shook his head. "The image is badly deteriorated. Must be old." Such a thought greatly appealed to Maechen, and he inched his way forward.

Through the static, Yuna could see bars. Bars she recognized.

The gaol! The dungeon beneath the Temple in Bevelle! This was a recording of one of that _terrible_ place's many cells!

It was shut and locked tightly. Behind those bars, she could just barely make out the figure of a person.

And suddenly she felt sick.

This was a record of one of the prisoners there… Even more solid evidence of Bevelle's cruelty. Yuna had barely been able to tolerate facing that gaol when it had been completely empty! She couldn't bear the thought of watching a sphere of the place when it was not.

"Bah!" From off the image, they could all hear the voice of a man. A man who sounded cruel and so contemptuous. "The only reason the war's dragging on is because Zanarkand refuses to surrender."

"You're wrong!"

Rikku gasped and Yuna took several steps backwards, covering her mouth. It was _his_ voice! He _had_ been a prisoner there! And this was a sphere of his interrogation… Yuna felt like throwing up.

"If you'd stop attacking, there wouldn't _be_ a war!" It sounded so much like him… Tears burned in Yuna's eyes, but she blinked them back when she noticed Logos looking at her in confusion.

The recording slowly closed up on him. The outline of his face was now becoming more and more visible. It was the same shape… the same structure… Who else could it be but _him_?

"We're not falling for that," his interrogator cruelly assured him, which brought him to let out a frustrated cry that was simply all too familiar. Yuna trembled, slowly sinking down onto the bed. She couldn't look away from the image of him… Locked up in such a tight prison… unable to move at all.

It's enough to drive a person completely mad.

"Someday," he said in a low, threatening whisper that, for once, Yuna _didn't_ recognize, "your precious weapons will end up destroying you."

The image dissolved.

Yuna glanced up at Rikku and saw that she, too, looked completely frightened by the sphere that they had just watched. Even now she was staring at it, unblinking, as Logos picked it up in his other hand.

Maechen was the first to speak. "He's probably referring to the Machina War of a thousand years past."

Yuna glanced at the scholar in interest. Of course she had heard of the war that had once raged long ago between Zanarkand and Bevelle. Everyone had. Some people even blamed it for the emergence of Sin. In the end, Zanarkand had been destroyed.

But what was _his_ part in all of that? "What can you tell us about it?"

Logos stared at the Summoner in disgust. "You aren't seriously-"

"Hush up!" Rikku spoke over the tall man, turning towards Maechen. "Please, we wanna hear everything!"

Maechen let out a wizened old laugh. "You can't expect me to remember everything that happens!" He shook his head and sighed. "But I understand why you would ask. I must admit, the likeness is positively uncanny."

Paine stared at the man in surprise. Was she the only one who _didn't_ know that much about the man that Yuna was looking for?

That would be a no.

Logos was frowning, and he looked down at the sphere in his hands. "Likeness? Likeness to whom?" He looked at Ormi, who could only shrug.

No one bothered to answer them, though. Instead, Yuna stayed focused on Maechen, and asked the question that was plaguing her heart so unbearably, despite how much she dreaded his reply. "It… can't really be him… can it?"

Maechen looked at her with dark, understandingly sympathetic eyes. "I'm afraid not." He sounded apologetic, and regretful. "After all, that sphere was recorded a thousand years ago."

"Right," Yuna looked down. "Of course." And, if she were to be honest with herself, she had to remind herself that _he_ had only been a dream. _He_ hadn't _really_ lived in Zanarkand a thousand years ago at all.

"Lady Yuna," Maechen spoke remorsefully, as if he were seeking her forgiveness. "A rumor has been going around of late. Perhaps you've heard of it."

Yuna looked up, as did Rikku and Paine. Logos and Ormi looked interested, too, for one could never learn enough about a star like the High Summoner.

"They say," Maechen continued. "That High Summoner Yuna was accompanied by a Guardian from, of all places, Zanarkand!"

Yuna felt the tears well up in her eyes again. That alone proved it was true to Paine, Logos, and Ormi – none of whom had ever heard such a rumor – and who certainly hadn't heard Yuna discussing it out loud herself. But if the thought alone brought tears to her eyes, then it must be so.

Paine wondered if she and the two Syndicate captains should leave the room. After all, this was personal to Yuna. But as the Summoner was making no objection to their presence, Paine had to admit, hypocritical as it was, that she was curious to hear more.

"Oh yes," Maechen went on. "That young man raised quite a few eyebrows at the Blitzball Tournament in Luca." The comment brought a sad smile to Yuna's lips as she remembered.

Yes. His big mouth had helped place the Aurochs up on the sphere for the entire stadium to see in order to gain what he called better PR. And his skill in the game had helped the Aurochs take the cup – defeating the champion Luca Goers. He had _definitely_ stood out in a crowd that day.

"I spoke with him myself on a number of occasions," Maechen continued. "I could sense that he belonged to an otherworld. That he should look so much like the man in that sphere cannot be mere coincidence, I should think."

"There's a connection," Yuna whispered.

"There is," Maechen agreed.

"Well, where is he?" Ormi butted in with his large mouth. "Why not just ask him, and clear this matter up once and for all?"

Rikku turned her head sharply at this remark, and her eyes might have shot lasers at the man. He instinctively took several steps away from her.

"But he's… he's gone…" Yuna said, looking down in an attempt to hide her tears. When she found that she couldn't, she quickly tried wiping them away. "Just like the Fayth said. 'Our dream will vanish.'"

"A dream of the Fayth? Is that right…?" Maechen glanced towards the wall and stared at it thoughtfully. There was in an edge in his voice that had caught Yuna's attention, and she looked up at him as her heart beat faster and faster. Maechen suddenly jumped and whirled his head towards her. "Oh, my."

"What is it?" Rikku asked, her own heart racing as beads of sweat broke out on her brow. What did he know that they didn't?

"I had something on the tip of my tongue," Maechen said hurriedly. "But then it… slipped away… Something very important…" He shook his head. "Frustrating. Well, I suppose I'll just have to think on it a little more. Until next time, Lady Yuna." He looked down at her with a weary smile. "We are all connected. There may yet be a way to reunite with those who have gone."

"What?" Yuna jumped to her feet, staring at Maechen with such a pale face that she might have just seen a ghost.

Maechen looked taken aback, and then he hesitated, trying to remember what he had just said. But it was no good.

Paine glowered at him. "Watch what you say."

"Forgive me," Maechen looked away. "Consider it the ramblings of an old man."

Yuna shook her head. _But I don't want to…_ She _wanted_ it to mean something! She _wanted_ to reunite with the one she loved so much!

Maechen breathed deeply, and turned towards Logos. "Now enough of that. May I see the manor's library?"

Logos seemed somewhat put out. "I suppose I cannot refuse." He gestured for them all to leave.

As they made their way out, Rikku reached for Yuna's hand and held it comfortingly. "I know we'll find him."

"I hope so," Yuna whispered, looking down. But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered…

If it wasn't _him_ in that sphere, who was it? What was his part in all of this? And did Yuna have more of a chance finding him, though he had died a thousand years ago, than of finding _him_, who hadn't really lived at all, but had been just a dream conjured up and then forgotten by the Fayth?

It hurt so much to think about. Yuna's heart was bleeding, and it was all she could do not to break down and weep.

And Paine was a witness to all of it. She followed slowly behind her two friends, watching, and sympathizing. She was searching for answers… Yuna was searching for a dream… Everyone was searching for something.

Would those somethings ever be found?

**ooooooo**


	34. Trials Among the Al Bhed

**ooooooo**

"Fa ryt yhudran lymm," Brother told Rikku as she, Yuna, and Paine returned to the Celsius's cockpit.

"Oh yeah?" the girl asked, cocking her head at the strange expression on Brother's face. It looked something like a twisted blend of bitterness and obstinacy – neither of which complimented the captain's already severe visage. For a change, he seemed completely hard and somewhat menacing.

"Who was it?" Paine asked, referring to his statement that they had received another call – not that she was particularly interested in the Al Bhed's steely countenance. She just wanted to know what their next assignment was, so that she could go about preparing for it, and possibly shake off any discouragement she was still feeling from their little exchange within Chateau Leblanc.

Instead of answering her, however, Brother just crossed his arms angrily and turned away. It was obvious that he was not pleased.

Yuna and Rikku both frowned and looked at each other in bewilderment. This was most certainly _not_ their captain's typical behavior. They found themselves turning instead to Buddy for answers. _He_ was standing behind his chair, watching with amused pity.

"Just our dear friends in Macalania being courteous enough to let us know that Cid's been off the charts for quite some time," he informed the three women. Rikku's face darkened somewhat at the mention of her father, making her resemble her brother in a most unusual way. Buddy shrugged. "Our captain wasn't exactly the most gracious recipient to the news. It'll definitely teach people to pass along helpful intelligence to us in the future." He sighed in slight resignation and shook his head.

Brother glared at him. "We don't need no one passing on intelligence about that!"

Buddy glared right back. "He's your father! Fading away into the background isn't like him! Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"About _him_?" Brother had never sounded so insulted in his life. "Hu!"

"So Cid's missing," Yuna said quietly and thoughtfully. She crossed her arms. "And some of the Al Bhed are getting worried?"

"Not our problem!" Brother said harshly.

"Are the Al Bhed offering any rewards?" Paine asked indifferently. "Because then it would _definitely_ be our problem."

"We could always ask for one," Shinra said, ever so helpfully.

"Right," Buddy smirked. "The Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings will take on any job for a reward!"

"Not this one!" Brother shot back stubbornly.

"Ooh," Yuna looked at him almost pleadingly. "Don't be like that." For the first time, Brother seemed to hesitate in his steadfast opposition. Torn, he wondered what was more important to him: getting the point across to his allies that he resented Cid… or pleasing Yuna.

"Well," he paused and glanced at Rikku. "Fryd tu oui drehg?"

She stared at him, wondering if he had lost his mind. "You want to know what _I_ think?"

"He's your vydran, too," Brother pointed out.

"Oh, right," she thought for a moment, obviously uncomfortable with the entire situation. And then she shrugged. "You know, he's probably still pouting in the Thunder Plains like a big old baby. There's no reason for the Al Bhed to be alarmed."

"The Thunder Plains have as many fiends as anywhere else," Yuna reminded her cousin. "And like Buddy said… brooding isn't in Cid's nature."

Rikku hesitated. She couldn't quite forget how her father had turned Zanarkand into a tourist attraction yet… But still, he _was_ her father, and she also couldn't forget what a blessing it was to have a father. She knew too many people who didn't… Yuna, for one. Wakka, Lulu, and even…

No. Taking fathers for granted was something she didn't want to end up doing. _Especially_ since her brother was so good at it.

She nodded. "Let's go see if he's at the Thunder Plains." She caught Brother's gaze, and for a moment, they just stared at each other. She knew him well, and knew how easily he might end up holding this against her. But she didn't mind. "Ra'c vysemo," she told him. He's family.

"Frydajan," Brother grumbled, but without further protest. He made his way over to the pilot's chair and started the airship towards their new destination. Needless to say, when they actually did _arrive_ there, not even Yuna could persuade him to join in on the search, for that _would_ be asking too much of him.

It was only mid-afternoon as Rikku boldly led Yuna and Paine away from the Celsius, but in that turbulent region, the sky overhead was as dark as ever. A mist blanketed the road, and all in all, it set a dreary scene.

Of course, that always seemed to be the case amid the ceaseless storm. But it barely even fazed the young Al Bhed girl. She had a wayward parent to find!

Cid was not where they had left him. The last time they had seen him, he had been lying in a heap beside one of the lightning rod towers. Presently, he was slowly pacing back and forth several hundred yards off the road and away from those towers – a predicament more dangerous than even confrontational fiends!

"Vydran!" Rikku cried, running up to him in alarm – for though she was no longer terrified of thunder, she certainly didn't consider herself an idiot. "Are you insane?"

"Rikku?" Cid turned to watch her approach as lightning struck down in an uncontrolled burst of sparkling electricity not more than ten feet away. "What are you doing here?" He quickly made note of Yuna and Paine, who were both coming up behind his daughter apprehensively.

"I could ask you the same thing!" she shouted at him over a clap of thunder. "You've got some of the others worried! And apparently for good reason, too! You could get hurt out here!"

Cid waved her off. "Oh, don't be ridiculous." But then he hesitated, and looked back at her pensively. "Who was worried?"

"The Al Bhed running the Macalania Travel Agency," Rikku said with a shrug. "And Buddy and Shinra."

"And me," Yuna cut in, understanding that Cid was waiting for Rikku to include herself and her brother among those concerned. He must have been looking for the affection of his children. Yuna wasn't his daughter… but she was his niece… and she knew that, to him, that was the same thing.

He looked at her now, and shook his head sadly. "Yuna. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

All eyes were on her now. Yuna could even sense Paine smile, though she didn't look away from her uncle. The sphere hunter knew how the Summoner would respond, and was just waiting for her expectations to be met. And Yuna knew she wasn't going to be disappointing Paine, either. It wasn't in her heart to hold a grudge. Even against someone who had inadvertently soiled a precious ruin with tourism.

She nodded. "I can. And I will, too, if you come with us back to the road." Lightning struck overhead, causing Rikku to wince, despite herself. It seemed to endorse Yuna's plea to return to the relative safety of a road lined by lightning rods.

"So be it," Cid agreed, and the four of them made their way back to the towers.

Once they were out of harm's way, Rikku leered at her father. "I can't believe you're still bummed out about all that, pops." For Yuna and Buddy hadn't been wrong when they had labeled Cid as one against brooding. In as long as Rikku could remember, the man had _always_ been upbeat and energetic, no matter what task he was to set about. Sometimes, his pure vivacity alone was enough to land him in trouble.

Now, he just returned her look with a scowl. "Who asked you?"

Rikku narrowed her eyes, but before she could respond, Paine caught her arm.

"Let's go," she said firmly, determined to avoid another argument with the man. And Rikku wasn't about to complain. She started for the airship without even giving her father a final glance. Paine hesitated, looked at Yuna, and then followed the girl without a word.

Cid turned to his niece. "So where are you going?"

Yuna glanced up at him with a small, understanding smile. "I think we'll go to the Travel Agency in Macalania and apologize for Brother's behavior. Apparently, he didn't respond too well to their call when they informed him that you were missing."

"Missing?" Cid snapped in obvious offense. "I've not been missing! Who said that?"

Yuna sighed and looked down. "They're just worried about you, Uncle Cid. You haven't been yourself since… Zanarkand."

"But I've not been missing-" Cid hesitated and narrowed his eyes. "Brother didn't react well?"

"He got mad," Yuna replied. She looked up at him pointedly. "You should go see him." Not that she wanted to be anywhere near Brother or Cid when the two next encountered, but she still felt it important they meet… and sort through whatever it was that separated them.

Cid, however, didn't seem too keen on the idea. He shook his head. "You better catch up with your friends, my little Yuna. Keep on sphere hunting, if that's what it is you've been up to."

Yuna obediently started after Rikku and Paine, but then she hesitated and looked back. "We've actually not been sphere hunting lately. We're helping people out now. If you ever want help, Uncle Cid, for any reason…" _Like getting onto the right track with your children again…_ "Just give me a call."

Cid nodded. "Now go on. Brother ain't gonna wait for you, you know."

Little did Cid know about Brother's loyalty to Yuna. She smiled, however, and humored the man. Returning to the Celsius, she wasted no time in telling the other Gullwings her plan to visit Macalania and why.

Brother didn't seem to get it. "To apologize? Apologize for what?"

Buddy crossed his arms in amusement. "For how you shot them down so rudely when they were just trying to help earlier."

Brother haughtily tossed back his head. "I've no idea what you mean!"

"Right," Rikku grumbled irritably. She looked to her cousin. "Well, I think it's a fine plan, Yunie. Just as long as it doesn't take too long."

"It shouldn't," Yuna promised as Paine started towards the door. The Summoner glanced at her in surprise. "Where are you going?"

Paine paused, but did not look back . "To tell O'aka where we're going. The Travel Agency in Macalania is _his_, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah," Rikku rubbed the back of her head. "I almost forgot about that." She hoped O'aka wouldn't land her in too much trouble with her people, considering how they had smuggled him out of the woods and away from his debt. Generally speaking, that was a high crime. The best Rikku could hope for at that moment was that O'aka just wouldn't think much of their present destination, and might not even make an appearance.

No such luck.

When Paine returned to the cockpit, O'aka came with her, happily chatting away about prices and profits and how he had finally earned enough to face the Al Bhed of Macalania. Now, all Rikku was left capable of wishing for was that O'aka might not humiliate them too terribly much. She had a reputation among her people to defend.

After all, daughters of Al Bhed leaders weren't quite expected to favor traveling merchants over their own people in business transactions…

And yet, by the time the Celsius had actually landed outside the Travel Agency, Rikku was unfortunate enough to find that O'aka and his debts would be the absolute least of her worries.

The Travel Agency was on fire. There were monsters everywhere, it seemed, dancing around the flames. And what few people there were still alive seemed terribly outnumbered and greatly disadvantaged.

Rikku gasped. "The Agency!" Brother let loose a long string of Al Bhed curses as Buddy, and even Shinra, strained to see what was happening.

"Fiends?" Yuna asked in concern. "Here?"

"Must be from the Macalania Temple," Paine theorized, for even on a bad day, there were never _this_ many fiends in the forest. It was the only plausible explanation, which, in itself, was a horrifying realization. "The fact that it's underwater doesn't seem to matter."

Yuna numbly remembered the fiends that had poured out of the Temple of Bevelle. Brother _had_ said that there were fiends coming out of all the other Temples as well. Were –

"We can worry about why later!" Rikku frantically interrupted Yuna's train of thought, turning to her almost desperately. "Yunie!"

The Summoner nodded firmly. "We have to help them." She glanced at Brother. "Get the door open for us. We're going out there."

"Roger," Brother said, his face unnaturally pale. Those were _his_ people down there. If they were slaughtered by fiends before he could… apologize… for treating them so horribly just because they had been worried about his father… he'd never forgive himself. He set to the task Yuna had given him even as she and Rikku left the cockpit.

"And our fee?" Paine asked, walking swiftly behind them – not because she actually _wanted_ a fee, but because she wanted to remind them that they had to keep up appearances… or risk losing their own reputation as Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings who charged for services.

Rikku, however, was in no mood for subtlety. "I'll pay you myself. How's that?"

Upon leaving the safety of the ship, the Gullwings were almost immediately under fiend attack. There were so many of them… and they were so eager to do plenty of harm.

Unfortunately for them, they had no idea who they were dealing with.

Rikku wasted no time in pulling free her daggers. Without a word, she vaulted forward, athletically diving into a fight. Fiends came up all around her, but Rikku avoided their claws and fangs with a grace she displayed again once she started lashing out back at them. Her daggers tore through fleshy, scaly hides. They ripped apart pieces of machina-like fiends. They cut through, cut down, and simply destroyed anything that got within her reach.

Yuna and Paine both watched her in concern as they fought their way through behind her. Yuna would fire her guns… Paine would swing her sword… They made their way through the throng with an efficiency unheard of.

And every time they killed a fiend, it erupted into yellowish green orbs that soared towards the sky. Before long, they seemed to be dancing within a yellowy green fog. It was a horrible, sickening fog that wore down Yuna's heart… and enflamed Rikku's.

Eventually she made it to the building's side. The flames were still burning brightly – their lips sizzling and cracking, twisting and burning, in an inferno that seemed alive, as if it were part fiend itself.

The three women wasted no time in changing dresspheres. In a synchrony that seemed almost harmonic, they transformed, inside ribbons of light, into Black Mages. And without pause, they simultaneously gestured towards the sky. Power surged from their arms like a sea, and that sea of water hit the Agency with a force so mighty that, within seconds, the flames were extinguished.

Having stopped the fire, the water had no where else to go but back out towards the lake. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine braced themselves against such a flood, even as it the semi-typhoon's strength carried away some of the weaker fiends within its current.

The waves had been cold. A smell of salt hung in the air, even as the women shivered from the chill. They quickly changed dresspheres again, out of their cold, soggy Black Mage Garments, and back into their regular, dry, warmer ones.

Wasting no further time, Rikku made her way into the Agency. As bad as the fire had been, only half of the building had been damaged. And while _it_ was now nothing more than a crispy wet skeleton, at least the rest of the building was, more or less, still intact.

"Rikku!" Yuna hurried after her cousin, grabbing her hand in time to pull her away from another fiend. Rikku let out a startled cry, for she had been so intent on getting inside the Agency that she hadn't seen how many fiends there still were standing.

Yuna held up her gun again and fired, killing the fiend in a second, turning its body into streams of gold. Pivoting on her foot, she fired in a similar matter at each of the fiends around her.

The battle didn't last much longer after that. Properly assaulted, the fiends were hesitant to persist – even if they were only up against three little girls. They weren't creatures of honor or valor. Instead, what few remained turned tail and ran, leaving the Gullwings behind in victory. Not that it was the kind of victory those women counted as a real triumph…

"Think that's the last we'll see of them?" Paine asked as Rikku paused a moment to catch her breath.

"For now," Yuna said.

"How're the people inside?" Rikku asked in a small, trembling voice that simply did not belong to her. She was scared… frightened for her people. How many good Al Bhed had… fallen?

"Let's go look," Yuna softly suggested. Paine nodded and the three of them started into what remained of the Travel Agency.

All in all, there hadn't been a terrible number of people within the building anyway. Ever since the Temple had sunk to the bottom of the lake, the place had had fewer and fewer guests.

The only two men who could honestly have been called customers had both made it outside, and had vanished into the woods, running from the fiends and the fire. An Al Bhed female had been trapped by the flames near the back, but since the water spell had quenched the fire, she had been all right – which greatly relieved the four Al Bhed men who had made it outside. Of _them_, only one had made it without injury, and thus had real cause to feel guilty for leaving the woman inside. But even more so for leaving the two inside who had _not_ made it through the fire. _Their_ burnt corpses lay on the ground, soaking in what water still remained.

"No…" Rikku breathed in horror when she saw them.

There was another man who was still alive, albeit barely. He was holding himself up by a wall on trembling arms – which were both black and shriveled from the fire – desperately looking around for something Rikku couldn't identify. She rushed towards him.

"Fryd ec ed?" he wailed as Rikku caught him in her arms and gently helped him to the floor. "Pahaydr dra fydanc uv dra myga? Frana tet ed lusa vnus?"

"Don't talk!" the girl begged as she desperately tried to still his trembling body. "Save your strength!" But it was in vain. Within minutes, the man had breathed his last.

Yuna slowly approached her cousin. "Rikku?"

The Al Bhed looked up at the Summoner, and there were tears in her eyes. Two years ago, she had watched her Home be destroyed. With Yuna's Calm, she had thought that… now the Al Bhed could thrive, and finally live with peace and dignity.

But here they all were, stranded within a forgotten Travel Agency, with fiends on the rampage and her people hurt… or dead.

_Why?_

Why were there fiends pouring out of the Temples? That was where all of this was originating, wasn't it? Fiends… and Dark Aeons… spheres of gaols and the people trapped inside them. Vegnagun… None of it added up or fit together, but somehow, they were all connected, and because of them, there was a body resting in Rikku's arms. The pain of that was like nothing she had felt in two years. It was like nothing she had wanted to feel ever again.

It was all Rikku could do to keep from sobbing. And even then, something heavy filled her throat… and stung her heart.

"Yunie…" she whispered, and within a second, her cousin was kneeling down beside her. "We have to find a way to stop this."

Yuna nodded almost guiltily, and glanced at Paine. There was no real emotion on the sphere hunter's face… but inside, Yuna could sense her sorrow was as real as theirs. But even then… it was important that they kept strong. If they gave in to their grief… they would never overcome it. They would never be able to live on. Yuna didn't want to see Rikku's vivacity wither away into nothing out of the loss of her people. They needed to endure… in memory of the people they had lost. _For_ the people they had lost.

It was the same for Paine. It was the same for Yuna.

"We _will_ find a way," the Summoner promised the Al Bhed. They would solve the mystery of Vegnagun and the fiends and the Aeons… even if it hurt this much. It was the least they could do… it was the only way they could find the strength to live lightheartedly again. "We will for them." _Even if it means being a Summoner instead of a Gullwing…_

Paine did not object.

"Ay!"

All three women turned their head to see O'aka finally and frantically climbing out of the airship. One look at the Travel Agency before him was enough to bring him sprinting forward with a completely _horrified_ countenance. "What happened to me shop?"

He pitifully knelt down beside Rikku, Yuna, and the fallen Al Bhed. There were actual tears in his eyes. "Come on, lad, I've come to give back the money I owe ye! Ye can't die before I pay ye back!" It _sounded_ like a superficial demand… "Think of me reputation! I'm beggin' ye!" He shook his head desperately and slammed his fists against the body's chest. "Now look what ye've done! Disgrace! Disgrace on the O'aka name!"

It _did_ sound superficial. But O'aka was genuinely distraught. His words didn't reflect his true grief… they were just a pathetic attempt to guilt the dead into coming back… for he was a merchant, and didn't know any other way to express how much he cared for those around him. Even for those he owed money to, and for those who had been both frustrated and impatient with him. _This_ was not something he would have wished upon _any_one.

"Come on, O'aka," Yuna delicately attempted to help the man away from the body. "You don't have to stay here-"

"Now, of course I do!" O'aka pulled away from her and glared obstinately. "This is me shop! It's about time I started running me own business again!"

Paine shook her head in disapproval. "I think you'll get more fiends than customers."

"Then I'll just have to start sellin' to the fiends, won't I?" He stubbornly raised his chin, and Rikku looked over at him in wonder. "I owe it to those lads who died defending me shop, and I'll not be letting 'em down! Mark me words, I'll stand by this shop, whatever may come!"

In all the time she had known O'aka, Yuna had never seen him more sincere or more determined.

Now, all she had to do was follow his example. Not to defend a small, broken down Travel Agency… but to defend a large, however divided, Spira once again.

"Mmm…" Rikku had tears in her eyes. Never before had she so appreciated O'aka. She jumped to her feet and ran to him, throwing her arms around him in a grateful embrace. "We'll come and stop by… in awhile, O'aka… to make sure you're all right."

He gently pushed her away. "I'll be looking forward to it, lass."

"Come on, Rikku," Yuna took her cousin's hand. "I have a feeling O'aka's gonna be just fine. It's time we do our part."

Rikku nodded, and together, the three women made their way back to the Celsius. There was only one thing that any of them could think of doing.

They had to stop this chaos… soon, before it got completely out of hand.

**ooooooo**


	35. The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth

**ooooooo**

What happened in Macalania affected each of the Gullwings in heart-wrenching ways – especially Rikku, Brother, and Buddy. The three of them had already seen Home destroyed. They never wanted to watch their people suffer again.

So now they were steadfast in their determination to protect Spira. It wasn't because they were the Gullwings… or even the Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings. It was because they were Al Bhed. And if protecting Spira meant honoring the Al Bhed they had lost, and preventing the loss of even more Al Bhed lives, then it was all they could do. It was what they all _would_ do.

And with their new steely resolve, they found themselves unable to even _hesitate_ in answering their latest call. It was a call from Clasko, in the Calm Lands. There was trouble there, and the Gullwings were now _more_ than ready to proffer help.

Of course, it didn't take the Celsius long to reach the Calm Lands from Macalania. Once it had, they could all see the damage that had been done. It looked like the fiends had gotten entirely out of hand. There was no doubt as to why the people might be in want of assistance, or why Clasko had thought of the Gullwings. He and Calli were presently both waiting for the airship, standing beside two chocobos, along with half a dozen other men and women – one of whom Yuna recognized as the carnival manager who had endangered Calli's life by selling the Monster Arena to Clasko that one day – in the field between his new ranch and the rest of the fair's tents.

As Yuna emerged from the Celsius, with Rikku, Paine, and Buddy behind her, the relief was so evident in the crowd that taking in all of their corresponding sighs was like watching a snoring man's chest rise and fall.

"Lady Yuna!" Clasko started towards her, leaving Calli behind with the two chocobos and the rest of the gathering. Compared to all of them, Clasko looked relatively in control of himself – the fear and concern and panic passing through all the other men and women of the small crowd reminded Yuna almost of a rainstorm. But even though Clasko seemed outwardly calm, the Summoner could also see, by his eyes and by his stance, that he, too, was scared, as he nodded to her companions. "Hi guys."

"Hey, Clasko," Rikku said, her voice still soft and mournful from Macalania. The boy stared at her in concern for a second, but then he quickly looked back at Yuna, for he had problems of his own.

"There are fiends in the Calm Lands," he said. "A heck of a lot more than usual. They caught us by surprise."

"They destroyed much of our carnival!" the manager behind him said in devastation.

Yuna had known _that_ much. They had all seen the place from the sky during their descent. Tents were torn, booths were overthrown… everything was in shambles. She honestly wasn't surprised that the damage had been caused by fiends. And honestly… she wasn't sure she _cared_ about _that_ much. She had had enough of a lot of things in Spira. Turning the Calm Lands into a tourist attraction was as bad as turning Zanarkand into one. But she hadn't made it to the Calm Lands in time to stop it from happening there, as she hoped she had for the ruins beyond Mt. Gagazet. And now… a part of her couldn't forgive them. A part of her _blamed_ them for this. The fiends only destroyed what _they_ had constructed. It served them right. Didn't it?

Maybe she was judging them too harshly. Maybe she judged _everyone_ in Spira too harshly… because her expectations for them were so high. It had always been like that with her. Expecting so much from everyone… that when the Maesters betrayed the Teachings of Yevon, it had crushed her. That when Spira was threatened by civil war so soon after gaining an Eternal Calm, it sickened her. That, when she had _thought_ she could finally live in peace, and perhaps find the one who meant the world to her, and by some chance live happily ever after with him, she should be forced to confront the Aeons she had once betrayed, and find everyone either relying on her to save the world, or trying to hold her back from such a fate so that she couldn't affect anything anymore, it grieved her. It grieved, hurt, and overwhelmed her.

Would anything, anywhere, _ever_ be what she hoped and expected it to be?

"Are they from the Monster Arena?" Paine's question quickly brought Yuna back to their present situation.

"No!" the manager shook his head, as he slowly approached Clasko and them. "They're from deep inside the cave in the gorge!" Paine frowned. _What cave was that?_

"There haven't been anymore fiends inside the Monster Arena," Clasko added informatively. "People from the carnival have actually been taking shelter there. Kind of ironic, right?" He smiled, but not because he was in a good humor. Most assuredly, he was not.

"But people _were_ inside that cave in the gorge!" the manager said, frantically brushing the boy aside. "Taking tours! And there's nothing we can do to help them!"

"What cave are you talking about?" Paine asked, growing slightly impatient.

"The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth," Rikku helpfully informed the sphere hunter. "In the valley between here and Mt. Gagazet. We stopped there on Yunie's pilgrimage two years ago."

It was where Summoner Ginnem had died – the first of three Summoners that Lulu had Guarded in the last ten years. Of all those three, only Yuna had completed her pilgrimage without failure or surrender.

She still remembered Lulu's face when they had confronted Ginnem's Unsent soul. The pain… and regret… There was too much regret in Spira. Even though Lulu had made peace with her past, and was now happily awaiting the future with Wakka and her baby on Besaid… Yuna could never forget those experiences that had shaped her Guardian. That had shaped all of them.

The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth was meant for tourists about as much as Zanarkand was. The cave was meant to stop Summoners from completing their pilgrimages. Even _before_ the fiends had sprung up out of control, the place had been dangerous. She could only _imagine_ what horrors awaited those who could not fight to protect themselves.

"Please…" An old, bent woman was forcing her way towards Yuna. "Won't you help us rescue the people left behind?"

Yuna hesitated… and then looked over at Buddy. "When Clasko called, he said he'd be willing to pay, right?" The navigator nodded, even as Clasko, the old woman, the manager, and practically everyone else within hearing range strained themselves attentively to mind her every word.

_Was it true? _they wondered. _Is the Summoner Lady Yuna truly charging those in need of assistance?_ To be quite honest, most of the people there were befuddled by such a thought. For Paine had been correct in her earlier assessment that people would expect Yuna to do all the dirty work. Of all the people there, only the Gullwings, Clasko, and Calli failed to take the High Summoner for granted.

Though the old woman, on her part, did seem quick to accept the unconventional prospect. "We shall all pay your price together, Lady. So long as our loved ones are not left abandoned to such a fate!"

Yuna lowered her chin ever so slightly. "I do not want _your_ money, ma'am. The Gullwings will only charge those whose responsibility it is we are covering." That said, she looked over at the carnival manager. "The people in those caves are only in danger because of _your_ tours. So you'll be the one compensating the rest of us."

The man's face blanched. And then it turned red with anger. "You can't be serious!"

"There isn't time to argue," Yuna replied shortly. "Buddy, will you take care of business?"

The navigator, who definitely remembered this manager's hand in putting Calli at such risk the last time they were all in the Calm Lands, was behind Yuna immediately. "Count on it."

"Good," Yuna turned towards the chocobo breeder. "Clasko. If you'd be so kind as to help us to the cave."

"Sure," the boy nodded, rushing immediately towards Calli and the two chocobos. The crowd of men and women made way for Yuna as she, Rikku, and Paine followed close behind. All of them were surprised by the Summoner. Rarely did she ever get so cold as this. But then, after everything that had happened, they couldn't really blame her…

Even still, the poor people witnessing all of this who didn't quite know her probably had no idea what to think about her now! In such a mood, she was definitely _not_ what _they_ had expected.

Paine silently scoffed at them because of it. It was amazing how easily expectations could be shattered. If there was anything to be grateful for at all in such a circumstance, it was that these people gave Yuna some distance… and stood by completely silent. The last thing _any_ of them needed at that moment were hushed whispers.

"Don't go in that cave, Clasko," Calli warned the boy as he walked up next to her, beside the chocobos.

"I won't," he assured her quietly, reaching for her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm just getting the Gullwings there."

Paine walked over to one of the large golden birds and gracefully mounted up onto its back. Rikku hopped up behind her.

"Don't worry about Clasko, Calli," Yuna told the young woman as she climbed onto the second chocobo. "He'll be fine."

"You just get back to the ranch and make sure everyone there stays safe," Clasko suggested. "This'll be over before you know it." Calli nodded, but didn't look any less concerned. She stood worried as Clasko mounted behind Yuna and took the bird's reins in hand. And she continued to stand there, watching, along with all the others, including Buddy and the manager, as Clasko and Paine both urged their individual chocobos towards the path to Mt. Gagazet.

It was only after the wind kissed her face, as she rode her powerful mount, while feeling its flexible body beneath her own, and its silken yellow feathers against her skin, that Yuna managed to smile. She half looked back at Clasko.

"I'm surprised," she told him pleasantly. "Perhaps there really is something of a Chocobo Knight inside you after all."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rikku swirled her head around towards him – for the two chocobos were running side by side, and she had heard their conversation. She grinned, and for a moment, the old, happy-go-lucky Rikku was back in action. "Face it, Clasko!" she yelled over the wind. "You handed yourself back there amazingly!"

Yuna nodded. "If you had stayed with Lucil, you might have made one heck of a leader someday."

Paine didn't turn her head, but nevertheless, she offered her two cents. "He still might."

"Nah," Clasko felt his face flush. "That was just Captain – uh… Commander Lucil rubbing off. I'm glad I'm not a knight anymore. I could never be anything but a chocobo breeder. That's all I want."

Yuna nodded. "As long as you're happy."

They came to the bridge that led into the valley between the Calm Lands and Mt. Gagazet. They entered the valley and made their way down to the gorge. So far, there were no signs of any fiends.

All too soon, the entrance to the cave rested before them. Yuna sat atop the chocobo for several moments, staring at that entrance apprehensively. Even after Paine and Rikku both dismounted, she sat stone still, practically unblinking. The place seemed too quiet.

_Summoners were never meant to pass this place,_ Yuna silently reminded herself. The cavern's name was historical. The Al Bhed had stolen the Fayth in order to use it against the pilgrimages. Yuna herself had bought the Fayth's loyalty back, and thus had left the cave with her life _and_ with another Aeon… only to betray him, as she had all the others. _What shall I find here?_

"Yunie?" Rikku was walking towards her in concern, bringing Yuna snapping back to the present.

"Let's go," she suggested, finally bringing herself to dismount. She turned back to Clasko. "Do you know how many people there are inside?"

Clasko nodded. "Only one tour goes in at a time. Twelve people, plus the guide."

"That makes thirteen," Rikku said. "I hope they're all okay."

"Let's find out," Paine replied dryly.

Yuna nodded, looking at Clasko only once more. "Wait here. Either for us or for the tourists. If we don't come back with them, get them to safety, and let us worry about ourselves. But if it's fiends that come out, do what you must to protect yourself and your chocobos."

Clasko's face paled. "Why wouldn't you come out with the tourists?"

"We're gonna be doing some of our own investigating," Yuna said with a shrug. "To try and figure out what's going on." Clasko made to object, but before he could, Yuna turned and ran inside the cave, with Rikku and Paine following close behind.

Inside, electric lights had been bolted to the walls. Some of them were still lit… but others had been smashed to bits. It gave the cavern a very ominous, haunted look.

"This place didn't have those two years ago," Rikku whispered nervously as they made their way down the first corridor.

"Bet they were put in for the tours," Paine guessed.

"That's dumb," the Al Bhed complained. And Yuna had no trouble agreeing.

All was still quiet. It was unnerving. Just a few hours ago, fiends had been pouring out of the cave, attacking men and women all throughout the Calm Lands. Now… they were no where to be seen. It was like the place had been abandoned.

"We should head to the Chamber of the Fayth," Yuna suggested quietly. Rikku and Paine both stared at her in surprise.

"Why there?" the Al Bhed asked meekly.

At the same time, Paine wondered aloud: "Is this place some kind of Temple?"

"It is," Yuna replied. "Though it wasn't recognized by Yevon." To Rikku, she said: "I just have a feeling." The part of her that still believed in being a Summoner was beckoning. But she didn't know why.

As there seemed to be no fiends there at all, and since Yuna and Rikku had both been there once before, and remembered their way around, it did not take them long to work their way through the labyrinth-like corridors to the back of the cavern. In fact, it proved entirely too easy.

Yuna grew more and more discomfited the closer they came to the Chamber. Something wasn't right…

That feeling grew more definite by the minute. They could all hear a soft rustling ahead of them that got louder with each passing step.

"What is that?" Rikku asked, frightened.

Paine shook her head. She couldn't help but think of that exercise inside the Den of Woe two years ago. Being inside caves always reminded her of that day. And this cave was no exception. Her body was tense… and her heart was pounding.

"We're almost to it," Yuna assured them.

The rustling grew louder. Soon, it was so loud, it was almost unbearable. A strange glow was now reflecting off the walls. It bounced off Yuna's face as well, as she approached. Dread piled up inside her.

The Chamber of the Fayth was before them now. Yuna entered first. Once, her Guardians would have forbidden such an action. Kimahri was generally the first one to enter areas that might have proven dangerous. He would have given his own life to keep Yuna safe.

But those days were gone. Yuna had no Guardian now. She was a Gullwing. And if she _had_ to think of herself as a Summoner still, then she would be one who Guarded her own back, as Gippal watched his.

However… nothing could have prepared her for the sight she was the first to behold.

The fiends had not abandoned the cave. They had congregated back to it. Back to the Chamber of the Fayth. _They_ were the source of that deafening rustle.

There was an immeasurable amount of monsters there. Fiends of all kinds were literally piling up one each other. Lizards crawling on the backs of lizards. Soaring elementals floating through the air – struggling not to collide against each other. Gray wisps of foggy, misty, skeletal fiends of death swirled through the room like ghosts. It was the most horrifying spectacle Yuna had ever seen. There had never been so many fiends in one place before.

_Why?_

Needless to say, the monsters sensed the Gullwings' presences. They hissed and turned to face them, but did not attack. And Yuna could feel that Rikku and Paine – not to mention her herself – were hesitant to take on so many enemies themselves. For a moment, no one moved.

And then… the fiends drew back. Yuna could hardly contain her surprise by such a thing. The monsters were clearing a path… as if they were _asking_ Yuna to enter into their midst. She hesitated. Behind her, Paine was slowly drawing her sword in defiance, even as Rikku trembled uncertainly.

"Look!" the Al Bhed suddenly cried, her voice echoing throughout the chamber. She held up her arm and pointed.

Kneeling together in a cluster at the room's center were thirteen men and women. All of them seemed to be in shock. Their arms were slumped to their sides, and their faces were masks of petrifaction.

But Yuna wasn't sure whether or not Rikku was pointing to them… or to the creature towering behind them.

It was the Aeon. Yojimbo.

Great in breadth as he was in height, the massive mercenary was decked in the red and yellow garb of an ancient bodyguard. His face, barely visible beneath his headpiece, was dark and demonic – what with its red and black patterns – and his shining green eyes that even now glittered were dripping hate as they fell over Yuna.

She shook her head in despair. And then she stumbled forward. "Please! Tell me! Why is this happening?"

_Was that _her_ voice that trembled so? That rang out so desperately and echoed so repulsively through the darkness of a cave lit only by unfeeling electric light?_

"Yuna!" Paine started after the Summoner. "What are you doing?"

Both women stopped short as Yojimbo abruptly – though gracefully – pulled free a magnificent, deadly katana. He menacingly lowered the blade towards his hostages.

Yuna's heart trembled. First Bahamut… Now Yojimbo. Why?

The Aeon nodded his head. And before Yuna could blink, a large brown dog was charging from the mass of fiends straight towards her.

"Yunie!"

The Summoner forced herself to not require any blinking. As steadily as she could, she pulled free her two guns and fired. Her aim was true… and the poor creature dissolved into a cloud of bluish purple dust.

Paine recognized that beautiful glittering light. It was the same way that Bahamut had been destroyed. Which could only mean that the creature, and quite likely the great warrior before them, had been Aeons once, too. She closed her eyes, empathetic to Yuna's pain.

Rikku was beside them now, as well. She stared up at Yojimbo bitterly, remembering how fond Yuna had always been of the Aeon's pet and partner. Now, she had been forced to shoot the creature head on. It wasn't fair.

Yojimbo held up his blade towards the three women. And suddenly, all those fiends fell towards the Gullwings at once.

Rikku screamed as they were all almost instantly buried alive by the monsters. They were surrounded. The beasts came at them quickly and sharply – scaly hides brushing against them as claws dug painfully into their skin. Fiends rushed in on top of them, crushing them to the ground.

Yuna frantically fired her guns – but to little effect. Three fiends seemed to replace whichever ones she killed. And it didn't take the monsters long at all to completely tear her weapons from her hands. Left defenseless, Yuna could only struggle uselessly against them as the weighed her down, pushed her, and scratched her.

But those scratches weren't deep. They stung… but none of them by themselves did much harm.

_He wants it to happen slowly,_ Yuna realized in despair. _Death by a thousand cuts…_ Tears slowly dripped down her face. She wondered how long it would take, for there were simply too many fiends to fight at once. And even if she could fight them all… how in Spira was she supposed to fight Yojimbo afterwards?

But Paine wasn't about to give up. As the fiends pressed her to the ground, she reached for her dresspheres… and became a Dark Knight once again.

_Break._

Power flowed through her veins stronger than she was used to. One by one, the fiends that were surrounding them, that were trying to _drown_ them, became as petrified as the twelve tourists and their guide. Not _one_ was now capable of moving.

Rikku took this opportunity to fight back herself. Touching one of her _own_ dresspheres, she transformed in a burst of ribbons of light. When they faded, she was wearing a Berserker Garment.

Covered in brown straps of leather with two bluish gray shoulder pads that curved into an upward point, she looked particularly savage. Spinning on the balls of her feet, she uplifted her arms.

_Eject._

Each and every one of the fiends erupted into a swirl of yellowish green orbs of shimmering light. Yuna stared at them in incredulity. Rikku did it. There was still hope…

Painfully, she reconsidered all of the false hope that Yevon had given Spira. She had been able to overcome something even so terrible as that. Why was she faltering now?

_I hoped to move on from that part of my past. Now it's catching up to me, and that weighs me down so much. Why…? If even the Aeons are returning to haunt me… will _he_ too?_

Miserably, she remembered that man in the sphere she had seen at Chateau Leblanc… The man locked inside the gaol. Maechen had said that he wasn't her Guardian. That he _couldn't_ be. Maybe memories of _him_ were haunting her already…

"Yuna!" Paine shouted.

Looking up, the Summoner was suddenly confronted by Yojimbo lunging towards her with his katana raised.

He was too strong for Rikku's attack. It had not affected him whatsoever. And now, he was almost on top of her, ready to annihilate her, as she had annihilated him two years ago.

"No." Yuna wouldn't give up here.

She reached down and touched her own dressphere. Her Warrior dressphere.

Consumed by a great swirl of golden light, Yuna felt her Garment change into black leather. And at the same time, she felt the weight of a sword forming in her hands.

The brightness of the light died, and Yuna lifted her blade to check the Aeon's. And not a moment too soon, either. By some miracle, their blades collided with a spark, and though Yojimbo had every advantage in size and strength – and even in weaponry – he was the one to fall back.

There are few swords that could effectively take on Yojimbo's own. But the Brotherhood… it was sacred to Yuna. And that gave it a power not even Yojimbo had anticipated.

Furious, the Aeon pulled from his own handy arsenal several ninja stars. With a speed unmatched, he sent the blades flying towards the Summoner. However… she managed what would seem impossible herself. She vaulted out of the way.

Without pause, she charged towards him. He lifted his katana again to meet her, and their blades clashed piercingly. Yuna swung again and again, desperate to end the fight. But he blocked her every attack.

And then he quickly reached past the Brotherhood with one long, powerful arm, and grabbed her by her neck. He squeezed, and in her pain and sudden panic as oxygen was denied to her, she found herself dropping her sword to pry uselessly at his fingers.

The blade hit the ground with a clatter.

Yojimbo's shining green eyes narrowed hatefully as he slowly raised his katana over Yuna's head. Her eyes followed the blade, wondering if this would be it.

"Yojimbo!" Rikku shrieked, but the Aeon ignored her. Angrily transforming back into her regular dressphere, Rikku pulled free both her daggers and sent them flying. One shot towards his face, but he effortlessly turned his head away from it, and it sailed behind him uselessly. The other, however, lodged in the wrist of his sword hand.

He shrieked in anger, dropping Yuna so that he could pull the dagger from his flesh. She landed heavily on the ground by his feet, too weak to try moving to safety. And once the dagger was free, Yojimbo once again lowered his hateful eyes towards her.

But for naught. Paine was suddenly before him, dressed once more in her regular Garment. Sword in hand, she swung without restraint, letting loose an angry, frustrated cry. The blade slid through his robes, piercing even his armor in a torrential armor break! Cutting through his skin, Paine fought to separate his torso from his waist. And she did.

Yojimbo burst into a wave of brilliant bluish purple glitter. Within moments, however, that glitter vanished, and there was no trace left of the Aeon. It was almost as if he hadn't been there at all.

For a moment, the Chamber of the Fayth was left in a cold, dark stillness, matched only by its silence. A calm after the storm. But Yuna knew _this_ one would not be eternal.

She sat up wearily, changing back into her regular Garment as Paine knelt down beside her. Rikku soon joined them, after retrieving her twin daggers.

"Are you okay?" Paine asked the Summoner.

"We should see if _they're_ okay," she managed to choke out – for she was still catching her breath after Yojimbo's attempt to strangle her. She nodded towards the thirteen hostages, who were only now beginning to come out of whatever state of petrifaction they had been held in.

Paine nodded, and went to them, leaving Yuna behind in Rikku's care.

"Yunie…" the Al Bhed looked at her cousin with bright, wide eyes sheathed in fear. "How is this even possible? You destroyed the Aeons two years ago. The Fayth have awakened, or whatever, and they don't exist in our world anymore. Right?"

Yuna hesitated. Rikku's question… It was one that she had been asking herself ever since their encounter with Bahamut in Bevelle. "The Aeons are created through pyreflies… Pyreflies are what make them take their form, when they are really nothing more than Fayth… souls of human beings who _were_, up until two years ago, trapped inside their statues. The Fayth have left… but pyreflies remain. The pyreflies might be acting on their own to take up the shape of the Aeons. But even still… that doesn't explain why the Aeons are attacking _us_." Or more specifically, why they were attacking _her_.

"They seemed like they were in such anguish," Rikku whispered.

_Anguish?_ _Not betrayal?_ Yuna considered that with just as heavy a heart as before.

"But the pyreflies show the _memories_ of people," Rikku exclaimed. "The Aeons weren't bitter two years ago. Didn't you say they had _asked_ to be used? That they were willing to help defeat Yu Yevon? They knew what that would mean. Didn't they? So why are their memories so devastated?"

There were too many questions. It _had_ to be the pyreflies! Unless the Fayth had returned for some reason… but why? Why would they?

The Fayth had wanted Sin gone as much as anyone else had. But despite that, they had _never_ interfered with the political corruption in Bevelle and around the rest of Spira. Surely they wouldn't interfere now, just because the world was in the midst of civil unrest.

Was it because of Vegnagun? Yuna doubted the Fayth would return just for one dangerous piece of machina, even one so powerful as that. If it was not simply the making and doing of a cluster of pyreflies, than there _must_ be something else. Something worse.

Yuna preferred the simple pyrefly theory. But still… none of it made any sense whatsoever!

She bowed her head, feeling her body begin to shake. "I don't know if I can do this, Rikku. There's just so much. It… hurts."

It _did_ feel like they were getting no where, Rikku had to agree. The mystery was too big. And yet… it was just _one_ mystery. Rikku could sense it as well as Yuna. Though everything seemed so far apart… somehow… they were all connected. Vegnagun and the Aeons… New Yevon and the Youth League… the fiends… the sphere hunting… even the sphere of the gaol beneath Bevelle. Everything was interlocked.

But how? And why?

"Yuna. Rikku."

Both women started and looked over at Paine, who was standing only slightly apart from the tourists they had been sent to rescue. The sphere hunter seemed anxious to leave. "Are you two ready?"

Yuna sighed. "Let's go." She and Rikku stood up, and, together, the Gullwings led the tourists out of the cave and back towards safety.

And as they went, one thing became clear in Yuna's heart. The Calm Lands would never be a place of such festivity ever again.

**ooooooo**


	36. Shinra's Metaphor

**ooooooo**

As it turned out, Buddy had done very well haggling over a price with the carnival manager. Of course, the man had been _furious_ that _he_ had been the only person charged for Gullwing services, but Yuna certainly wasn't going to lose any sleep over _that_.

What was even _better_ was that the manager would be unable to bully any of the other employees into repaying him, for no one was staying to run the carnival in the Calm Lands any longer. The manager found himself quite without a place to manage.

In fact, only two businesses remained open there. Clasko's chocobo ranch. And the Al Bhed Travel Agency.

And it did the Gullwings good to see _them_ back in the Calm Lands again.

Presently, they were in the cockpit of the Celsius, where Brother was bragging endlessly about Buddy's skills as a negotiator, and how they had gained both a profit _and_ a reputation as "takers from the rich and helpers to the poor." _That_ label suited Brother perfectly. And it cheered Rikku up quite a bit.

But Yuna… felt as confused as ever. After her encounter with Yojimbo, her heart still felt heavy from pain and loss, regret… and all her unanswered questions. Like: why? She needed more than the good humor of the Gullwings to reset her heart at ease. She walked over to the airship's windshield, and stared out over the Calm Lands.

"So, where to now?" Paine was demanding, eager for them to be on their way again. Yuna heard her ask, but barely paid her any mind. Her gaze was rising… to look up at Mt. Gagazet.

"We've had a couple of other calls," Buddy said with a shrug. "Brother's practically handed you three the mantle of decision making. It's up to you."

_Sacred Mt. Gagazet…_ Yuna's heart lightened somewhat just at the thought. It would be nice to see Kimahri again… and they were so close to the mountain anyway. She could use a short distraction.

Turning, she faced her friends once again. "Let's go to Mt. Gagazet. I'd like to visit Kimahri."

**ooooooo**

What had not at first been the most profitable, and thus, agreeable, plan, was now the one in action. The airship crossed over the Calm Lands and lifted itself up towards the peak of the mountain, for though Brother had initially argued that they had no business atop Mt. Gagazet, he could not hold out on Yuna for long. And even Buddy and Shinra were satisfied enough with their spoils from their most recent mission that they had no objection in taking a small break for the moment.

However, as the airship landed, and as the three women made their way outside into the cold, frigid air of the frozen mountaintop, Kimahri, who was waiting for them, did not seem particularly pleased.

"Yuna must leave," the great elder of the Ronso proclaimed before Yuna, or even Rikku, could get a word in edgewise.

Yuna immediately knew that something was wrong. She hesitated, understanding perfectly that if all were well on the mountain, Kimahri would not ask her to leave. She frowned, and Kimahri guessed what she was thinking.

"Ronso youth use force," he explained in a deep, apprehensive voice. "Seek vengeance for fallen Ronso. Garik lead angry Ronso youth. Decide to take revenge on Guado. Garik go to battle. Now Garik climb peak, tell mountain battle plan."

Concern flooded Yuna's heart. So much for this being a short break. Just thinking about the Guado in the ever fading Macalania Woods brought her heart to bleed. There was no cause to go to war with them. The only Guado remaining in the world meant no harm to anyone… They were just… living out the remainder of their days as quietly as they could… lost in their regret.

"And you're just gonna wait here?" Rikku asked indignantly. Kimahri glanced at her and considered.

"Garik hear voice of mountain," he reasoned. "Garik change mind. Kimahri hope so." So Kimahri was for the plan about as much as the Gullwings were. As in, not at all. That thought eased the pain in Yuna's heart… somewhat.

But Paine wasn't so naïve. "And if he doesn't?"

Kimahri's face darkened. "Kimahri stop Ronso youth."

There was an edge in his voice that concerned Yuna. She had no doubt that Kimahri _could_… she had seen him fight and he was no one to trifle with. But he was an elder now. He was supposed to offer guidance. Not force. "That's crazy."

"Elder Kimahri have no choice," the Ronso replied. And he truly didn't. The Guado's numbers were dwindling. And the Ronso were only just beginning to strengthen theirs to what it had been two years ago… before Seymour had slain so many. Going to war was not only pointless. It would also prove disastrous.

"Yunie," Rikku glanced over at her cousin. "This isn't good."

"There's still time," Paine noted, preferring action over time off anyway. She glanced at Yuna. "Should we try and stop them?"

Kimahri took a single step forward in concern, but when Yuna looked up at him and caught his gaze, he stopped. Sometimes, even someone so great as Kimahri found that he needed to pause and remember how much had changed in the last two years.

"We're going up," Yuna informed the Ronso firmly. "Maybe _we_ can reason with him."

Kimahri nodded. "If Yuna go, Kimahri think Garik listen. Maybe. If not, Kimahri deal with Garik."

A lot _had_ changed. Two years ago, Ronso dealt with Ronso problems. Period. That Kimahri would agree so easily to Yuna's help now was in itself a testament to the changing times.

The elder led them up the mountain to its summit. It was a long, cold walk… but not one that Yuna hadn't handled before. And when they finally reached the peak, they were assured that they hadn't climbed in vain.

Garik's voice had been heard long before he was seen. But after they crossed over one last snowdrift, the Ronso grew visible standing before four others.

"Ronso hold anger no longer!" Garik was proclaiming as Kimahri, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all approached – not that he or any of the others paid the newcomers even the _slightest_ bit of attention. "Ronso youth fearless! Go to battle with the Guado!"

Garik's oration was in no way close to over, and the Ronso youth continued to hang onto his every word intently, even as sparks of excited anticipation crackled around them. They were ready for a fight, and waited only for Garik's address to end so that they could cheer and roar their agreement.

But Yuna didn't have the manners to wait and listen to the rest of any speeches. She walked boldly towards Garik. "And if I ask you not to go?"

Her voice was not as strong as Garik's. It was not as loud or as hefty. But in its own right, it was powerful, and _it_ caught the attention of each Ronso when her mere approach had not been able to.

Garik regarded her coolly. "Mountain tell Ronso to go." And as much as the great Ronso respected and admired the High Summoner, Lady Yuna, they would not pit her above the sacred mountain.

Yuna, however, did not even blink. Just a few short hours ago, she had stared down Yojimbo. Garik was _nothing_ next to an Aeon so powerful as the bodyguard. "What if you can't go?"

She was tired of all this never-ending restlessness. New Yevon and the Youth League were on the brink of war themselves. Spira could not afford violence between the Ronso and Guado as well. And if nothing else would work to stop it… Yuna would take the matter into her own hands.

She pulled free one of her guns and aimed it steadily at Garik.

It was difficult to determine who was the most surprised by the Summoner's action. Paine and Rikku certainly were. Kimahri… he had recognized the deep determination in Yuna's voice from two years before. Her will to fight now reminded him of her will to fight then against whoever got in her way to defeat Sin forever. And thus it did not surprise _him_ that she should challenge Garik.

Garik and the Ronso youth themselves, however, were _shocked_ by Yuna's audacity. _Never_ had a mere _human_ ever faced up to one of them like _this_ before. It was astonishing.

But then… that astonishment turned to offense… and then to incense.

"Summoner not hold Ronso anger with puny arms," Garik growled.

"But if I do," Yuna spoke in a cold, piercing voice. "You will stop this talk of vengeance."

Garik bent towards the ground, staring at her like a vicious beast. Once upon a time, Kimahri had challenged a certain young Guardian outside Besaid in much the same way. "Very well. But Garik _never_ fall!"

Agreement rippled through the Ronso youth, who greatly doubted Garik could be beaten. And Kimahri watched silently, willing to allow Yuna this chance to fight… but concerned that he could not protect her, when he had been protecting her for more than half her life.

"Somebody's a few spheres short of a Garment Grid," Rikku whispered nervously when she realized Kimahri would not try stopping Yuna.

Paine shrugged. "Typical Ronso."

The Al Bhed chuckled fretfully. "Good point… But I was talking about Yunie…"

"High Summoner Yuna!" Garik proclaimed in his mighty voice. "Know true Ronso anger!"

He charged towards her furiously. And she responded by squeezing the trigger of her gun.

The bullet hit Garik in his chest. Yuna knew that such an attack would not prove dangerous to the Ronso, for such creatures had great protection beneath their coats. But it _would_ temporarily stun him – especially considering his shock that she should dare shoot him in the first place.

Letting loose a furious roar that echoed over the mountain, Garik charged towards her again. But Yuna sprang into the air, vaulting over him while twisting her body round so that she could shoot two more bullets at his back. They struck each of his shoulder blades, sending him down to his knees. Yuna quickly reloaded as Garik swirled around in fury.

Yuna crouched down, knowing that while one bullet wouldn't faze the Ronso, _several_ bullets would eventually strain him at least.

Garik started towards her again and Yuna fired three more times. After the last round, blood could finally be seen streaking the snow.

Garik was still furious… but also hurt. That possibly made him even _more_ dangerous. Like a purely wild lion, he pounced towards her with renewed speed.

Yuna closed her eyes again and remembered her fight with Yojimbo. Her neck still felt the pain of having been so compressed by the Aeon's steely grasp. Why should one childish Ronso threaten her after that?

She fired one last bullet.

It broke through Garik's thick fur and into the flesh of his shoulder. Blood poured heavily onto the snow as the Ronso howled in pain, crumbling to the ground. There was no longer a doubt in anyone's mind that he would not be able to defeat Yuna now.

"That is enough," Kimahri said in a voice that demanded no defiance. Once again, he was the leader… and Garik the youth.

He was looking up at Yuna presently, his eyes full of pain and surprise. But at Kimahri's command, he nodded.

Yuna sighed, and placed her gun back in its holster. She touched one of her dresspheres, and became a White Mage long enough to cure Garik of his wounds.

"Enough of this vengeance," she told him softly, though her voice was still solid and unquestionable.

Garik regained his feet and looked down at her coldly. "Ronso keep word. Yuna defeat Garik in battle. Garik honor Yuna's wish. Not go to battle."

"All right!" Rikku cheerfully agreed as the other Ronso turned and made their way into the distance, fading from sight along the mountain.

Yuna bowed her head in relief. "Thank you."

The Ronso scowled. "Garik not need thanks. Garik underestimate Yuna. Garik now understand he is weak in battle. Garik wait. Destroy Guado after he become better warrior." With that, he whipped angrily around and disappeared himself over a white embankment.

**ooooooo**

That night, Yuna lay miserably on her back up in the loft of the airship's cabin. Outside it was dark, and most of the Gullwings were asleep. She supposed she should be sleeping, too. After all, following a fight with Garik and Yojimbo both in one afternoon, she should have been exhausted.

Not that she wasn't. But so much had happened… and though her body was weary, and her mind worn through with fatigue… she was too restless to close her eyes.

She got up and quietly climbed down from the loft. Making her way through the corridors of the airship, she eventually found herself standing in the cockpit of the Celsius. And she wasn't alone.

The airship's constant late night rambler, Shinra, was presently seated in a chair installing some sort of mechanization.

"I wonder," Yuna said, walking up behind him, though failing to have surprised him in the least. "Do you wear that mask so that people don't see the hideous dark circles beneath your eyes?"

"Heh," Shinra sounded amused, but didn't respond as he dallied with a screwdriver.

Yuna exhaled quietly. "Whatcha up to?"

Now _that_ was a question Shinra was willing to answer. "Installing a commsphere."

Yuna had never heard of one before. "A new invention of yours?"

"Yep," Shinra placed down the screwdriver and looked back at her, wiping his gloved hands. "I'll be installing one in every region of Spira. And _those_ commspheres will transmit images back to _this_ one here on the airship. It'll be a way for us to communicate with people globally."

"That's incredible!" Yuna was genuinely impressed.

Shinra, however, just shrugged. "Not really. What's incredible is that you're not in bed."

"You're not either," the Summoner quickly pointed out, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

"Yeah, well," Shinra shrugged again. "I'm also an energetic kid who spends too much time with our very own hyper-energetic captain while consuming too many stimulants in my drinks. And, I don't run around getting in over my head in ugly battles like you do."

"Point taken," Yuna turned away and walked towards the window. Outside, the mountain was covered in snow, and in the sky, the stars were shining brightly. It seemed to be a particularly icy night on Gagazet.

"I heard about what happened out there from Rikku," Shinra told her. "You did a good thing."

"All I did was delay a bad thing," Yuna whispered. "Garik still wants to fight the Guado. I didn't change anything."

"You weren't supposed to," the child prodigy shot back. "The Ronso have always dealt with their own problems. You gave Kimahri more time to solve this for himself. And as his tribe's elder, that's all he needs from you."

"That's what my head tells me," Yuna replied. "But if I can't make things any better for the Ronso, how am I supposed to for Spira?"

Anyone else might have said that Yuna had already done that by destroying Sin. But Shinra knew that wasn't what the Summoner needed to hear.

"I'm just a kid," he told her bluntly. "When Brother offered me a chance to become a Gullwing, a lot of my people said I was too young. But then my sudran – my mother – said something. She said she wanted to keep me close… to protect me. But despite that, she knew the only way to prepare me for the world, so that I can grow and develop and whatnot, was to just let go."

Yuna considered. "It's not too late to do that for the Ronso, but… what if the rest of Spira does go to war? What would your mother do if you were in a real fix?"

Shinra shrugged. "She'd do whatever she has to to get me out of it. I was just making a metaphor, Yuna." He turned back to installing the commsphere.

But his words stayed with the Summoner. Even if she did let go of the Ronso, and allowed Kimahri to shape his own tribe as best as he could, she couldn't let go of the rest of Spira. New Yevon and the Youth League were on the brink… and what with the fiends and the Aeons and Vegnagun…

If Spira were to take Shinra's place, than it was closely becoming time for Yuna to take the boy's sudran's. The world was in trouble. Yuna would have to do whatever she must to get Spira out of it.

**ooooooo**


	37. Memories Are Nice

**ooooooo**

"I want to go to Besaid." _I want to go home._

It was morning again, and the Gullwings were gathered in the Celsius's cockpit. Shinra was still fine-tuning his new commsphere, as the others looked over at Yuna from their various positions around the room.

Buddy glanced at his navigator's screen. "We did get a call from there. Don't know who made it, but the fiends from the Temple _are_ apparently as out of hand there as they are anywhere else."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Rikku demanded exuberantly. "Let's go to Besaid!" No one else objected, so Buddy and Brother plotted their way to Yuna's home. She stood watching them, and hardly spoke a word until they reached the island.

**ooooooo**

It was a beautiful day on there. That wasn't anything new. Most days were beautiful, and Lulu could honestly not recall the last time the weather had seemed at all dreary – for even when it rained, the water there looked like crystal drops.

But the beauty of Besaid did not necessarily reflect the village's present peacefulness. Today, it felt like the world was falling apart.

Standing at her tent flap, Lulu gazed outside as members of the Youth League ran frantically from place to place, looking into everything while trying to stay calm and put to use the skills they had been trained to develop. Fiends _had_ been everywhere it seemed, and while helpless villagers took shelter in their homes, the Aurochs, the fighters, struggled to remain on the offensive, and finish handling the situation.

Unfortunately, most of the Aurochs made ten times better Blitzball players than Youth Leaguers. And considering their record as a team in _that_ game… that didn't say very much about their fighting skills.

_At least Wakka and Beclem know what they're doing,_ Lulu thought with a sigh. _Yevon,_ she hated not being allowed to help.

Looking down at her stomach, however, Lulu thought about her unborn child… and knew her seclusion from activity was for the best. It took strength to perform magic. She didn't want to inadvertently drain any the baby's. Not when she didn't have to.

Presently, a great airship flew over the sky. Lulu looked up at it, as did all the Aurochs, and all the other villagers standing by their doors and windows. Wakka and Beclem were both walking back towards the village along the island trail, and they saw the ship, too.

They all knew what it meant. They all knew who was coming. And from her tent, Lulu smiled.

**ooooooo**

Upon climbing out of the Celsius, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine wasted no time whatsoever in making their way to the village. Along the trail, there _were_ some fiends. But none of them were too powerful, and it took no more than thirty seconds to Send any one fiend that got in their path.

Before long, they found themselves entering the village. Almost immediately, Yuna spotted Lulu walking towards her, ahead of half the Aurochs – including Jassu.

"You really shouldn't be out here, Lu!" the Blitzer was whining anxiously. "The fiends-"

"Have been fought off at present," the Black Mage snapped, giving him a cold glare that was all too familiar to Yuna and Rikku… and surprisingly comforting, at that. It was good to see her again. Yuna was suddenly aware of exactly how much she had missed the older woman, who had always been so much like an elder sister to her.

"Lulu," the Summoner rushed towards her in concern. "What's been happening?"

Lulu sighed, looking her dear friend up and down, as if in appraisal of her present health and condition, making sure that she was still quite alright after being gone so long. "Unfortunately, nothing you should be welcomed home to."

"The fiends?" Yuna asked, and the Black Mage nodded.

"They're coming from inside the Temple," she said, though Yuna had guessed _that_ much. "But it's all right. Wakka and the others-" she nodded towards Jassu and his companions "-fought them off. Luckily, no one was hurt."

Yuna nodded, sighing her relief. At least she could be thankful for _that_ much.

Rikku moaned. "Does that mean your Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings won't be needed after all?" The Al Bhed certainly wasn't in any hurry to take off. Now that they were in Besaid, and in Lulu's company again, they weren't eager to part ways.

Lulu sensed that, and smiled as she considered what reasons they had to stay. "Any fiends that were missed may still be wandering around. Wakka and half the team split up to track them down while the rest of us stay here to guard the village in case any more come."

"The rest of _us_?" Jassu demanded, interrupting. He drew strength to defy Lulu from Yuna and Rikku's presence, though it was Paine he practically hid behind now as he spoke. "Lu, you're _supposed_ to be inside!"

The Mage sighed and shook her head, pressing her hand against brow in a typical show of her frustration.

But before she could respond, a few angry exclamations caught their attention, and they all turned towards the village entrance to see Wakka and Beclem passing through the gates at long last.

It was Beclem exclaiming: "What's there to decide, Wakka? We can finish off the fiends right here and now!"

Rikku and Paine both turned completely towards the man in resent, even as Jassu and the Aurochs shrank slightly back. They all remembered their last meeting with the Youth League trainer. It had ended with tears in Yuna's eyes.

But then… Yuna remembered… there had been tears in Beclem's eyes as well. No one else, however, had noticed them.

It was to Yuna's comfort, then, that Lulu's regard for the man seemed different from the Aurochs', and different from Rikku and Paine's. Yuna couldn't place it, but it was not anger or resent that Lulu held for Beclem. It was something lighter. And Lulu was generally a fairly good judge of character.

Wakka himself seemed more frustrated and impatient with the man than anything else. "Burning down the Temple is going too far!"

"You have another suggestion?" Beclem asked coldly as the trudged towards the Gullwings and Aurochs side by side. Wakka harrumphed his displeasure, and Beclem scoffed. "We have to do something. What if the fiends keep coming?"

By that point, the two men had joined the congregated group, and as Wakka walked over to welcome Yuna by silently reaching for her hands and giving them a brotherly squeeze, Beclem found himself looking at Lulu.

However, he continued to address Wakka. "Or maybe you don't mind putting your family in danger?"

"Hey!" Rikku exclaimed resentfully as Wakka spun around.

"All we gotta do is stop the fiends, ya?" he rationalized. "Well, I can do that!" Without another word, even to the Gullwings, he made for the Temple.

Lulu took a few concerned steps after him. "Wakka!"

She was the only one who could have brought him to stop as he did then. He turned towards her apologetically. "Look at you, Lu. Braving the outdoors. Think I can brave the Temple then, ya?"

The Black Mage's shoulders sagged, and she stared after him in discouragement as he turned and continued on his way. After all, there was nothing she could have said to that. Yuna walked up to stand beside her in concern, as all the others watched Wakka go feeling a mixture of emotions.

Beclem shook his head critically. "It would be so simple to burn the place down and take the fiends with it."

Rikku spun towards the man in contempt. "How do you know that'll end it? What if doing that makes it worse?"

Beclem stared at her incredulously. "How _exactly_ would it make things worse?" He crossed his arms bitterly. "Besides. Praying to _them_ never did anyone any good." He glanced from Rikku to Yuna. "You're the one who defeated Sin. You should know."

Yes. Yuna did know. The Teachings of Yevon had proven false and betrayed them all. Yuna knew that better than anyone. Yet even still… it did not matter.

She walked past Lulu and started for the Temple. Paine followed, and Rikku quickly hurried after.

Beclem could hardly believe it. "Going to help him? I won't wait much longer."

Yuna paused while Rikku made to turn around so that she might clobber the guy. But Paine quickly reached out and caught her arm before she could.

Slowly, Yuna turned around herself and regarded the man who was standing next to a worried Lulu, and in front of several frightened Blitzball players. Her gaze was sad… and regretful. "You want to see it burn that badly?"

The pure sorrow in her voice caught Beclem off guard. He studied her for a moment, recognizing more and more that he had indeed misjudged her. She was indeed the woman people said she was. Why that had to be the case for _her_, and not for a certain other individual, Beclem did not know, and found somewhat unfair.

But he couldn't change it, so he angrily turned away. "It's for the safety of the village."

"Of course it is," Rikku spat, earning a shove from Paine. But Yuna ignored her cousin, and turned to head inside the Temple once more. The other two followed.

And Lulu watched them go, praying that they would catch up with Wakka, and bring him back safely.

The Temple was exactly as Yuna remembered it. The circular foyer was the same as always – albeit a little darker and dustier. The statues of the different High Summoners, including Braska, Yuna's father, continued to stand tall in their circle around the room, watching silently, and offering the protection that came with hope. Yuna took a deep breath when she saw them, looking to her father's likeness for such a gift.

She wasn't sure, then, whether or not it was given to her.

Together, the three friends walked up the steps that led into the Cloister of Trials. Once, a long time ago, _he_ had climbed those steps, in defiance of the priests, and even Wakka! to make sure that the Summoner inside was okay.

_That Summoner had been me…_

Pushing through the giant double doors, they made their way into the Cloister. However, it had been two years since any Temple had required a Trial to be solved before a Summoner could pass. The only thing that hindered them from following Wakka close behind were a few small fiends that had, thus far, managed to stay alive.

Eventually, however, they did catch up with him.

"Wakka!" Yuna cried, seeing him sitting on the ground, leaning against a wall, with his arms wrapped around his chest. He appeared to be greatly out of breath.

"You okay?" Rikku asked as she and the Summoner knelt down beside him in concern. Paine herself stood back a few feet, keeping watch for any more fiends that might show up and attack.

Wakka nodded, pushing their concern away. "Just a few scratches, eh? I killed the thing. Nothing to worry about."

_Nothing to worry about?_ Paine shook her head. "They won't stop coming. Let's get out while we can. The man was right. We have to use fire."

"Paine!" Rikku objected, standing up to face her friend unhappily.

Yuna, however, kept her gaze fixed on Wakka, who was even then struggling to regain his feet. There was indeed a large red welt on his chest, and it did look painful. But he still managed to at least _look_ like it didn't bother him.

"Whatever's controlling the fiends must be down there," he theorized. "Take that bad boy out…" He had to pause and take a breath.

Meanwhile, Yuna stood up to finish the sentence for him. "And we won't need fire."

Paine considered that. "Fair enough." Nevertheless, she couldn't help but remember what had ambushed them in the last Chamber of the Fayth that they had entered.

Yuna turned towards the man who had been one of her original Guardians. "Wakka, stay here."

That command, coming from _her_, was not one that he was used to hearing. As a Summoner, it had been _her_ job to listen to _him_ dishing it out. "What? Why?"

Rikku hopped towards him with a knowing smile and winked. "Wouldn't want you to overdo it, daddy!"

She started towards the lift that would bear them down into the Chamber below. Yuna and Paine joined her on it, leaving Wakka behind to stare after them in offense.

At the bottom of the lift, they came to another great hall. This room was carpeted with an elaborate rug that stretched towards another set of stairs, which led up to a great door. Beyond that door was the Chamber of the Fayth…

_This is the hall where we first met…_

Paine didn't know that Yuna had first met him here. Not even Rikku knew it. Instead, Yuna found herself staring at her past, with no one who truly understood.

Slowly, she started walking towards the stairs.

"Hey, wait up!" Wakka was suddenly running into the hall, having taken the lift down behind them. And he was just in time to witness the next great and terrible spectacle alongside of them.

For the wall before them was suddenly torn apart. It was like a giant sledgehammer had slammed against it from inside the Chamber of the Fayth. Rikku screamed as rubble flew out at them, and they all took whatever cover they could find. Not that there was a heck of a lot of it.

Dust blanketed the air as the rubble began to settle. But not even a second had passed by after that before the thing that had caused the wreckage in the first place burst through it to meet them.

Two powerful, purple draconic wings with golden undersides flapped once, brushing away the dust cloud so that it could see, and be seen.

It was one of the most majestic creatures to have ever graced the sky. With its outstretched wings, it was beautiful. It had powerful legs and a long swept purple tail. Its neck was long as well, with red feathers. And its face was nearly white, with a falcon's likeness.

Though a part of Yuna had expected this, as had Paine and Rikku, the creature's presence _completely_ astounded Wakka.

He shook his head in disbelief. "An Aeon?"

"No," Yuna shook her head, backing slightly away. "Something's not right."

Valefor screeched in… despair. Yuna recognized it now, after Rikku had mentioned it. The Aeon was not _angry_. The poor thing was _anguished_.

But that anguish drove it to violence. Its beak opened, and great white energy began to take form.

"Wakka, stay back!" Rikku shouted, even as she herself ran forward. "It's not safe!" And Wakka, to his great shame, found himself obeying.

Yuna touched the dressphere that transformed her into a White Mage. And as Valefor's energy ray shot towards her, she created a barrier between them to cancel out the attack. Valefor shrieked – a sound that was heard even outside the Temple.

And from outside that Temple, Lulu closed her eyes, feeling the magic swirling round within her as she wished to be in there with them, helping them face whatever it was that they were facing.

Back inside, Yuna closed her eyes against her tears, holding up her familiar staff as an anchor for her magic. Through it, she cast another spell that would protect her companions from at least _some_ of Valefor's might.

The Aeon charged towards Yuna, ready to crush her beneath its weight.

But Rikku managed to be quicker. Already dressed as a Black Mage, she could sense the power, even across so great a distance, that swirled within Lulu. Drawing on a little bit of that, Rikku felt the power of the magic overwhelming her. Never before had it been so great.

_Even decked in the Garment of a Black Mage,_ Rikku realized thoughtfully. _I've no where _near_ the power of Lulu._

But with Lulu's presence just outside the Temple, the Al Bhed was able to tap into an extra amount of power, that presently surged through her like a violent electric storm.

The lightning crashed into Valefor, sending the wondrous beast careening against the side wall. Even more rubble crashed down upon them as the great hall shook. And even after the spell dissipated, sparks continued sizzle around the Aeon's face and wings. It struggled to lift its head, obviously in quite some misery.

Paine strode towards it, lifting up her sword. And without pausing to give it even a _moment's_ empathy, she swung the blade, and brought it down against the creature's neck.

Valefor dissolved into a sheet of sparkling bluish purple dust.

Yuna and Rikku both changed back into their normal garments, before the former slowly sank to her knees. Wakka himself was too stunned to move by what he had seen, though Paine managed to turn around and sheath her sword in perfect calmness.

"That was my very first Aeon," Yuna whispered brokenly.

"Hm." Paine didn't know how to answer that, and though Rikku had suspected as much, only Wakka had truly been aware of that fact.

He and the Al Bhed both started towards her, but paused when she spoke again.

"I grew up here in Besaid. This is my home. I became a Summoner here." She fell forward onto her hands… but by the way her arms trembled so, she might soon collapse onto her face. _This is where I first met him… Didn't that mean something?_ "I have to protect this place…"

Paine looked away. And here she had wanted to burn it down…

Wakka gazed down at the woman he had always called a little sister. "Yun…"

She started to cry. It wasn't something she could help. And it wasn't something she could stop as the tears fell down her face.

**ooooooo**

Beclem was waiting for them at the entrance to the Temple. He actually almost looked concerned… until he saw the four of them emerging. Then, he just sneered.

Paine presently had no patience for the man. "The job's done." She hoped he would leave at that.

"I see." Beclem glanced from Paine to Yuna. "Glad to see you're not hurt." But then his gaze fell on Wakka, and he saw the red welt on the man's chest. His face darkened considerably. "Or are you?"

Wakka took a deep breath and looked away. That possibly angered Beclem even more.

"Aren't you going to be a father soon?" he demanded. "What if something had happened to you? What then?" He didn't even wait for Wakka to _try_ responding. Instead, he angrily turned and retreated from the Temple.

Rikku jumped after him. "Quiet, meanie!"

"It's okay," Wakka reached over to touch the Al Bhed's wrist. She looked back at him in surprise, and for a moment, it was just the two of them, alone, staring at each other sorrowfully. Not too long ago, Wakka had hated anything that had anything to do with the Al Bhed. When he discovered that Rikku was one of them, he had been horrified and unnecessarily cruel to her. Now, they were looking to each other for support. So much had changed in two years. Wakka was glad to call her a friend.

He shook his head and smiled sullenly with a shrug. "What can I say? He's got a point."

That certainly didn't convince Rikku of anything. Or Yuna, for that matter. She no longer had tears sliding down her face, but her face still had that strange look of innocence that came after a heartfelt cry. "Wakka…"

He shook his head. Recognizing Beclem's accusations to be true, he was able to accept them, along with his own faults. And he smiled, sadly, but without resistance. "If we die trying to save one memory, we risk losing them all."

And wasn't that honestly why they were there?

Defending the Temple from Beclem's fire had nothing to do with Yevon, the Teachings, or what they believed. It had _everything_ to do with their hearts… and their memories.

Rikku shook her head, refusing to accept it. Tears were stinging in her eyes as she bounced on her feet, stressing her one last argument. "But what if it's a really important memory?"

" 'Memories are nice, but that's all they are.' "

Rikku grew painfully still as Wakka slapped her very own words back in her face.

_They had been on Yuna's pilgrimage in Guadosalam. They had been walking to the Farplane… so that Yuna could consider Seymour's proposal before the memories of her father… before illusions created by the pyreflies._

_"What, you're not going either, Rikku?"_

_"I keep my memories inside."_

_"Eh?" _He_ had looked so clueless questioning her. But then, _he_ had often looked clueless, considering he wasn't even from their world. It was just another one of those things about him that had really used to amuse her._

_"Memories are nice," she told him. "But that's all they are."_

Rikku began to tremble beneath Wakka's gaze. And he wouldn't look away from her. "It's an Al Bhed saying, ya?"

"Well yeah, but…" Rikku shook her head. Why did Wakka have to go and learn Al Bhed sayings _now_? "It was different then… I… I was different." That was before she had learned how easily dreams could fade away.

"We all were," Yuna said. She walked past Paine, and then past Wakka and Rikku, and didn't stop walking until she had left the Temple. Paine followed her, wanting out of a conversation that she was not a part of, since she had not been there with them two years ago. Her memories of that time were different… and she felt left out because of it.

Slowly, Wakka and Rikku made their way out of the Temple as well. Lulu was waiting for them beside Yuna and Paine, and she looked at Wakka in relief. When the two joined the three, Wakka bowed his head before Lulu, and the two of them embraced.

**ooooooo**

It was time for the Gullwings to leave again.

Yuna was standing by herself, gazing at the Temple, as Rikku, Brother, and Buddy all bade the Aurochs, and the other villagers, farewell. Paine was standing slightly apart, but for once, not alone. She was standing with Lulu, and had been with Wakka as well, but he was now approaching the Summoner.

"Memories are just… memories, ya?" he asked, standing next to her and following her gaze. "Fiends ever come out of the Temple again, I may really have to burn it." It wasn't a warning. It was an appeal for her understanding, should that ever come to pass.

"I guess so," Yuna said, feeling slightly cold, despite the warm tropical sun. Shivering, she turned to look up at Wakka pleadingly. "But call me before you do. We'll save fire for our last resort."

"You got it," he nodded his acceptance.

Satisfied, Yuna turned away again. For a moment, the two of them stood silently together.

And then: "Search not going well I guess, huh?"

Yuna looked down. "I must figure out why the Aeons have come back. I haven't really been focused on finding him lately."

"Nice excuse."

"Huh?" Yuna looked up at Wakka in surprise. It wasn't like him to say something like that.

He shrugged. "That's what _he_ told me, when I told him I couldn't focus two years ago. That I always thought of the game when I should have been thinking about Sin… Or that I was always thinking of Sin when I should have been focused on the game. 'Nice excuse,' he said."

"Oh," Yuna looked down again, and Wakka smiled.

"Ask yourself what your goal is, Yuna," he suggested.

"I-"

"Victory," Wakka reminded her. "You heard him say it yourself, ya?" She smiled, and nodded.

_"During a game, you have to think of blitz and nothing else, you know? You can't think, 'that's a cute girl in the fifth seat from the right.' And you can't be thinking about where you're going to go on that date, because the minute you do, that's when you lose!"_

Those had been _his_ words, once. And they had helped her so much on her pilgrimage. She didn't think he knew… or that he was aware… of how even the slightest little thing he had ever said back then had been taken into her heart and carried forever in her memories.

"Do what you gotta do to learn about the Aeons," Wakka told her seriously. "But always stay true to your search for him. Don't ever lose your focus Yuna. Concentrating on _him_ will give you strength."

Yuna couldn't think of how to respond.

Fortunately, Rikku spared her the trouble by running towards the two and waving. "Yunie, it's time to go!"

"Right," Yuna smiled and looked up at Wakka. "Thank you."

"Anytime, ya?" Wakka embraced her, and then urged her towards the other Gullwings. "You're always welcome here. Don't forget about us."

"Like we could," Paine grumbled, before leading her friends back aboard the airship.

**ooooooo**


	38. Another Temple Another Aeon

**ooooooo **

"I suppose there are fiends pouring out of the Kilika Temple, too," Paine theorized as Brother flew the Celsius over the sea.

"Are people offering to pay for help?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the sphere hunter.

She scowled. "Isn't that supposed to be your job? We're the ones doing all the work."

"Right," Buddy interrupted, for the sake of his friend. He spared Brother a quick glance before looking back at Paine. "There are fiends there, just like in Besaid. Problem is, no one there wants to pay _us_ anything. New Yevon thinks we've already taken enough out of Kilika, back when we stole that sphere from them. Remember?"

The first sphere they had seen of Vegnagun. None of them were ever likely to forget.

"Then we should help out there _pro_ _bono_," Rikku suggested. "To make it up to them."

"Why not charge the Youth League?" Brother asked with a shrug. "Then there'd be no doubt! We look out only for ourselves."

"Who would we charge, genius?" Shinra shot back. "Nooj is missing, remember? We can't charge money from some random Youth Leaguer."

"Then let's demand an IOU!" the captain insisted boisterously.

Rikku rolled her eyes. "Just plot a course to Kilika and stop wasting time!" Surprisingly, Brother complied.

Considering that Besaid and Kilika were close neighbors, it did not take long at all for them to reach the second island.

And once they were there, they were surprised to find the town seemingly in the utmost tranquility. No one on any of the boardwalks seemed even the _least_ bit concerned about the possibility of fiends. It was like… they weren't even aware of the situation.

Not that they had reason to be. There were no signs of any fiends at all. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine passed through the town in wonder by such a happenstance.

"Buddy said there were fiends here, right?" Yuna quietly double-checked as they passed by several huts and several wharfs.

"You bet he did," Rikku whispered back. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It probably does," Paine countered, pushing ahead towards a certain, familiar round hut. "We just don't know how yet." Yuna glanced questioningly at Rikku, who just shrugged. Together, they followed Paine's lead as the sphere hunter rather rudely barged past the hut's elaborate door-blanket.

Dona was, unsurprisingly, inside, sitting at a small table. Upon Paine's entrance, however, she stood up and spun around furiously. "What is the-" Her gaze fell on Yuna then, and, despite herself, she paused.

"Hi, Dona!" Rikku chirped pleasantly enough, which caused the ex-Summoner to roll her eyes.

"My, my, my," she shook her head and crossed her arms. "What brings you here?"

"We heard fiends were coming from the Temple," Yuna explained quickly.

Dona rolled her eyes again. "And you just _had_ to come running." Her voice was sarcastic, but underneath it all, Yuna could sense a hint of respect. She sighed then. "I'm not even so sure there _are_ any fiends."

"Yeah," Rikku nodded. "We noticed that coming in. Doesn't look like they're much of a problem here, does it?"

Paine narrowed her eyes. "Why haven't you checked?"

Such a thought actually caused Dona to laugh. "I'm in the Youth League! Do you think they'd let _me_ in the Temple?"

Rikku's head fell backwards and she stared at the wooden ceiling. "Good point."

Yuna took a small step towards her one-time rival. "We'll take a look in there for you."

Dona regarded her with a smirk. "You'll never get _near_ that Temple."

"That was the general opinion the last time Nooj was here," Paine coldly reminded the woman, successfully bringing a flush to her face.

"Yes, well," she huffed and shook her head. "_This_ time, the _Youth League_ has blockaded the forest entrance. As they should."

"Why?" Rikku asked.

But Paine figured it out before the Summoner could reply. "_That's_ what's keeping the fiends out of the town."

"If those rumors even _are_ true," Dona confirmed bitterly, sinking in on herself. "Like I've said, I'm not even entirely sure that's the case. If it's not… well. At least then it spares me from seeing that sulky face." She turned away from them, her elegant hands touching the back of her chair.

"Sulky face?" Rikku asked. "Oh… Barthello!" She bounced on her feet as Dona spun around.

"Of course," she snapped. And then she sighed, her shoulders falling heavily up and down. "He's with New Yevon, so _naturally_ he's in the Temple." She turned away again miserably. "But then, it's really none of _my_ business." She was trying to sound self-righteous, but instead, it came across as pathetic.

Yuna stepped towards her again. "We'll make it _ours_. Besides. I'm worried about the fiends." She glanced at Paine and Rikku. "The Youth League's barricaded the way into the forest. Which means that whoever's at the Temple has no where to go for shelter from the fiends. They can be in real danger."

Rikku nodded, winked, and looked forlornly over at Dona. "Oh… What if Barthello gets hurt?"

The maneuver worked, and Dona spun around in concern – while _attempting_ to mask it under annoyance. "If you want to go _that_ badly, _I_ won't stop you. But they're turning people away at the gate. So you should either sneak past them or just leave, but however you choose, why don't you _leave_?" She gestured impatiently towards the door.

For a moment, no one moved.

Rikku had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Dona was just so _obvious_. It didn't take _that_ much longer, either, for the woman's eyes to light up with the sudden joy of knowing that she could help her loved one after all.

She nodded, snapping her fingers. "I've got it. I'll distract the guards, giving you the chance to run through." Eagerly pushing past Rikku, she left the hut, and made her way towards the Kilika Woods.

Once she was gone, Rikku _did_ laugh.

Yuna smiled as well. "I knew she was worried about him."

"Let's go," Paine suggested, and they followed the woman out towards the town's gates.

Dona had been in a hurry. Already they could see her striking up a conversation with the two men currently posted in front of the blockade.

It was a makeshift wall with several wooden posts that jutted out like pointed lances. It stretched in either direction along the forest's border for as far as the eye could see. Silently, Yuna wondered how on Spira the Youth League had gotten it built up so quickly.

"I think it's working," Rikku noticed as the guards laughed at some joke Dona had made up for them.

"Shouldn't be too hard to scale that wall if we catch them off guard," Paine pointed out. They waited until Dona once again had the two guards' captivated attention.

And then they charged.

"Whoa!" one guard exclaimed when he first noticed the Gullwings. But it was too late.

Dona slowly backed out of everyone's way, watching as Rikku reached the gate first. She jumped up, bounced off one of the wooden lances, gained more height, and grasped the top of the wall. Swinging over, she jumped back down on the other side.

Yuna immediately followed her example. Paine, however, paused long enough to kick the now approaching guard, sending him careening back against his ally. The two of them stumbled, and practically fell over.

Paine spared Dona one last glance before climbing up over the wall herself. She was just making to jump over to the other side when Dona rushed forward to offer one last bit of advice. "You can make it through the woods if you walk the treetops!"

Paine did not acknowledge the Summoner in the least, but jumped down to join Yuna and Rikku. Turning towards the trees, however, the sphere hunter was confronted by an extremely chaotic spectacle that made her take every word that Dona uttered to heart.

The Kilika Woods were _jam packed _with fiends! It was amazing that the monsters – not to mention the men and women doing battle with them – could not be heard beyond the wall. For several moments, Yuna wondered if, in jumping over the Youth League blockade, they had not crossed over into another world altogether.

"Man," Rikku groaned. "We'll _never_ get to the Temple! There's just too many!"

So far, the Gullwings had caught none of the monsters' attention. The fiends were too focused on slaying the various Yevonites and Leaguers who were, for once, fighting side by side to hold them back. But Yuna knew that wouldn't last forever. As soon as the monsters sensed them there, they would be caught up in this ongoing battle that had already lasted for who knew how long!

Paine, however, remained perfectly composed. She walked over to the nearest tree, completely ignoring the fiends, and pulled herself up. Yuna and Rikku watched her do this, and a moment later, they figured out why. And they hastened to follow her lead.

Doing so almost reminded Yuna of navigating through Macalania. But then, _that_ forest had been _made_ for walking along tree branches. These Woods had not. The trees were thinner here, the branches smaller, and more fragile. And while they easily held up under the weight of the three women, Yuna couldn't shake the feeling that, with one wrong step, she might find herself crashing down to the forest floor. Which wouldn't be a good thing, considering the numerous fiends that were crawling around on that floor beneath them… It made her slightly dizzy.

Nevertheless, they climbed through the trees, completely evading the battle between man and beast that was raging below. It made Yuna slightly guilty that she was leaving her people to such a task. But then… she knew the best way for her to help them was to get inside that Temple.

It didn't take them much longer to reach the great staircase that wound up to its entrance. After climbing up _those_ steps, they were horrified to see, as they raced into the courtyard, that the numerous torches hanging on the outer walls of the Temple were lit by flames that were not their usual yellowish orange. They burned blue. It was exactly as the flamed torches had burned the night Yuna had first passed through Kilika on her pilgrimage two years ago. The night Yuna had danced her first Sending…

There were pyreflies at work inside the Temple. Which offered one possibility…

"Barthello!" Rikku suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Yuna's thoughts. The Al Bhed raced towards the Temple entrance, with Paine and the Summoner directly behind her.

Inside, they all saw Dona's Guardian facing up to a hideous Daeva – a fiend that was not only several feel taller than him, but _also_ the stereotypical demon. Lean and malicious, the creature was covered in black scales. It had fangs and claws, and two gigantic wings that stretched out behind it. And beneath the crown of its two curved horns, red eyes gleamed at the massive Guardian.

He charged towards the demon with a loud battle cry. But up against the Daeva, Barthello proved slightly insufficient. A long tail whipped around the creature, catching the Guardian by his throat. Turning its body, the fiend roughly released the man, sending him flying forward until he landed on his hands and knees. The Daeva hissed, baring its fangs as it turned completely towards Barthello's exposed back.

But that exposed _its_ back to Yuna. No one ever said that stereotypical demons were particularly intelligent.

She drew her guns and fired at the back of the monster's head and neck. Within moments, the fiend erupted into greenish yellow orbs.

"That was painfully easy," Paine noted dryly as Rikku sprang to Barthello's aid. Yuna shrugged and followed her cousin.

As the two knelt down beside Barthello, Paine slowly walked deeper into the darkened Temple, feeling more than just a little apprehensive. She reached down and fingered the hilt of her sword, cautiously glancing into every shadowy corner of the room.

"Barthello?" Rikku asked, as she and Yuna helped the man to his feet.

He was gasping for breath while rubbing his neck uncomfortably. "I'll be okay." Silently Yuna sympathized, remembering how Yojimbo had tried to strangle her to death within the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. A person's throat was a very delicate thing.

Paine turned her head and looked up at the ceiling. Was it just her… or had something moved within the shadows?

"The fiends?" Yuna quickly asked, seeking information from the bulky Guardian.

"We're holding them off… somehow," Barthello was unable to hide his dismay. "They keep coming from inside! One right after another…" He shook his head sadly.

And suddenly, Paine was charging towards them, drawing her sword.

Rikku screamed, even as Yuna and Barthello both ducked away in surprised astonishment.

The sphere hunter swung her blade… but not at any of them.

It was only then that Yuna noticed how a dark shadow had grown above them. There had been a _second_ Daeva in the room!

But now it let out a high screech, even as it burst into the same greenish yellow orbs as the last one.

Paine turned back towards them and sheathed her blade.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Rikku shouted at her from where she was now huddled on the Temple floor.

The sphere hunter smirked. "I just saved your life."

"Yeah, well…" Rikku grumbled as Yuna walked over to her and helped her to her feet.

Barthello let out a sigh and moved to stand at the Temple entrance. The three Gullwings all turned to look at his back in concern. He was obviously depressed. "If the fiends reach the town… they'll reach Dona… We can't keep this up forever."

"You won't have to," Yuna told him gently, looking towards the lift that would carry her down into the Cloister of Trials. "We'll stop them."

"Thanks," Barthello sighed deeply, and it was obvious that he didn't quite believe her. After all, how on Spira could she stop so many?

"Dona wants to see you," Rikku mentioned conversationally. "Well, she didn't come right out and say it, but you can kind of tell." _That_ bit of news touched the Guardian in ways that Yuna's doubtful assurances hadn't been able to.

He turned towards the Al Bhed desperately. "I want to see her, too! Even if we believe different things, I'll always feel the same about her! The time of Summoners may have passed, but I will always be Dona's Guardian! I live only to protect her!"

Paine shook her head at the pitiful man in amusement. "And you can say that with a straight face?"

Barthello sighed and looked away with a mixture of hope and regret. "Dona…"

Yuna stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. He said that he would always be Dona's Guardian. That it didn't matter how they believed different things. He said that he wanted to see her.

But here they were, allowing politics to separate them.

They didn't realize how fortunate they were to even have a _chance_ to be together.

_"That's right! We're all Guardians! Yeah, and you know what that means? Yuna… Anywhere you go, I'll follow."_

_That_ is what it meant to be a Guardian. Barthello didn't understand. Or maybe Yuna was just expecting too much from him. Like she expected too much from everyone.

Sighing, she turned and started towards the Cloister of Trials. What she wouldn't give to be in Dona's place. All that separated _her_ from the one she loved were politics. And politics could be cast aside… once a person's willing to try.

"Yunie, wait up!" Rikku hurried after her cousin with Paine behind her. Together, the three of them took the lift down into the Cloister.

Passing through the riddle-less Trials took no more than a couple of minutes. And after that, they made their way into the Hall of the Fayth, and from there, into the Chamber of the Fayth. They were greeted by the sight of a huge abyss that had been torn into the floor of the room.

Where once there had been a short, wide dome that stretched across the floor, encasing the statue of the Temple's Fayth beneath it, there was now nothing but a horrific chasm. It was just like the hole in the floor beneath the Temple in Bevelle.

And though Yuna had not actually entered the Chamber of the Fayth in the Temple at Besaid, something inside her _knew_ that there had been a hole in the floor there as well, instead of the statue beneath its dome-shaped encasing. It must have been the same at the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth.

Holes in the floor. Leading down to _Yevon_ knew where. Yuna stared at it dejectedly as Rikku and Paine stood silently beside her. None of them spoke. They didn't know what to say.

The room began to tremble, and before their eyes, they witnessed a spectacle that was growing more and more familiar to each of them by the day.

Rising from the depths of that chasm, a creature of both might and fury raged while swirls of fire danced demonically around his frame.

"Again," Yuna realized as the creature outstretched its powerful brown forearms, letting free a horrifying bellow that caused Rikku to cringe and clamp her hands over her ears.

"An Aeon?" Paine asked, suspecting that much, but needing confirmation.

A fiery red mane stretched from a brown face down its back – which was now humped over like a boar's. Several coal black horns curved around its head like an elaborate demonic crown that made the Daeva's from before look nothing more than a pathetic mockery. _This_ creature was a devil, when those two Daevas had been mere imps.

"Yeah," Yuna stared up at Ifrit sadly. And she found herself thinking about her Guardian.

"Yunie…" Rikku whispered uncertainly as the Aeon shook his head ferociously, and then fixed his gaze on the Summoner. Those red eyes sparkled… in despair.

"I know," Yuna heard herself say. "I'm ready."

In her mind, she heard Wakka's voice assure her: _"Concentrating on _him_ will give you strength." _And it did.

Cart wheeling towards the Aeon, Yuna transformed in a ribbon of gold so that she was wearing her Warrior dressphere. Righting herself in a crouch, she gracefully drew her sword… _his_ sword. The Brotherhood – whose blade had been created out of water.

Ifrit threw out his fist, and a ball of fire formed around it. Its heat brushed against Yuna's face, even at a distance, and the burning tongues roared deafeningly. But when the fire shot towards the Summoner, and when Paine and Rikku both jumped backwards to evade it, _she_ just lifted up the side of her blade and allowed the sword's element to douse the conflagration.

The force of Ifrit's attack was enough to crush her in itself – even after the flames were extinguished. But Yuna fought against it… thinking only of the Brotherhood's rightful wielder. And somehow… she managed to stand firmly. The fire – though scorching hot – did not hurt her.

Ifrit snarled and sprang towards her, throwing both his arms back over his head. But as fast as he was… Yuna was faster. She somersaulted beneath him, rolling safely away from the spot that Ifrit's fists now plowed down upon. Spinning around, she countered with the same attack he had tried against her.

But she had the Brotherhood.

Ifrit sharply turned his head, but was not fast enough to dodge as she descended towards him. Instead, he upraised a giant arm to defend himself.

Her watery blade pierced into his flesh – but did not cut all the way through. Pushing up off the sword that was caught in Ifrit's arm, Yuna twisted her body and powerfully kicked the Aeon's face. He stumbled backwards as she forcibly pulled the sword free and started after him once more.

Having lost his advantage, and now bearing a useless arm, Ifrit was almost entirely down. And Yuna gave him no time to recover. Instead, she charged towards him and thrust the sword forward. It pierced his heart.

After Ifrit dissolved in majestic bluish purple glitter, Yuna transformed back into her normal dressphere, and stood staring sadly at the place where her Aeon had been a moment before.

Rikku and Paine both watched her, and then looked at each other in concern. Yuna had taken out an Aeon… completely by herself. It brought neither of them any comfort that she had found the strength to do such a thing. The fact that a Summoner should have to face the very creatures she Summoned, and destroy them, was grossly unnatural. Yuna should not have _had_ to find such strength. It was just too much to bear.

"Yunie…" Rikku whispered, walking timidly towards her cousin.

But Yuna turned around and just smiled. It was not a happy smile. Rikku saw two years and a lifetime's worth of sorrow in it. But at least she wasn't crying. "I'll be fine. As long as the fiends are gone outside. Let's go."

Rikku nodded uncertainly. But when the Summoner headed back out, she and Paine both followed without another word.

**ooooooo**

Upon leaving the Temple, the Gullwings took the time to observe that the flames of the torches on the outside of the Temple walls were burning in a warm, ordinary golden glow. The blue fire was gone… The pyreflies were gone.

At the same time, men and women soldiers of both New Yevon and the Youth League were wearily trudging up the Temple steps towards the safety of its shelter. The battle was done. The fiends were gone. And they were all too tired of fighting to even acknowledge each other – except to tend to wounds, hunger, and thirst.

The Gullwings took comfort in that as they left for the airship. There was no one to say good-bye to here… except for maybe Dona and Barthello.

But as Barthello was no where to be seen, Yuna could only hope that he had gone to be with Dona – in which case, they would not want to be interrupted. And if he had not… well then they were still allowing something so small as simple politics to get in the way of their happiness. In which case, Yuna did not want to see either one of them.

And so, they returned to the Celsius. And thought about where to go from there.

**ooooooo**


	39. The Sibling Argument

**ooooooo**

It was quiet that night on board the Celsius. Though… that could only be expected after everything the Gullwings had gone through in the last few days.

No one could sleep. Instead, the six friends gathered together in the cockpit. And while Rikku, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra all had chairs of their own to relax in, Paine stood stiffly in the shadows of a corner, while Yuna sat leaning against a wall with her knees bent and her arms wrapped around them.

All was silent – but for Shinra who was tinkering away with his commsphere. He had already set two up outside – one in Besaid, and one in Kilika. Aside from that, however, nothing else moved. It reminded Yuna of that night at the campfire… outside Zanarkand.

They were a group of dejected friends… enjoying nothing but each others fellowship… as confusion, fear, and great, great sorrow wore them down.

But the hush would not last forever. Rikku had too much on her mind to let it.

She shook her head and spun towards her allies. "I don't get it!"

Shinra answered cockily without even looking up from his work. "Fortunately, I know everything." Typical child prodigy.

With all that Rikku was feeling, she didn't have the patience to tolerate even a _genius's_ adolescent arrogance. Instead, she snapped. "So why are the fiends coming out of the Temples, know-it-all?"

Shinra hesitated, and _now_ he looked up. "The fiends _didn't_ come from the Temples," he chose the safest answer. "They came from the Chambers of the Fayth."

"Right. Exactly." Rikku rolled her eyes. "But _why_?"

And that question, not even _Shinra_ could answer. He shrugged. "I'm just a kid." Yuna felt her heart lighten some in amusement.

But when Paine turned towards her, the Summoner felt that weight come right back beneath inquisitive eyes. "That hole in the Chamber of the Fayth… was it there before?"

Yuna sighed and shook her head. Just _thinking_ about the chasm she had seen in that room was enough to freeze her blood. "No."

Rikku was bobbing her head thoughtfully. "So it must be new, right?"

"I'm pretty sure there were holes in Besaid and the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth as well," Yuna informed her, without answering her question.

Paine pursed her lips. "There was one in Bevelle, too. A great hole…"

"But _that_ one was made by Vegnagun, right?" Rikku asked. _Surely_ the one machina hadn't burrowed to every Temple across Spira! The holes _had_ to have come from something else… right?

"That's true…" Yuna whispered. But something inside her was whispering… "It's just too much of a coincidence. They have to be connected somehow."

Brother frowned, chewing on Yuna's words. "The holes… are connected…?" He wanted in on the conversation to please the Summoner. But his words only made him sound redundant. No one acknowledged that he had said anything at all.

And for awhile, it was silent again.

Yuna looked down and closed her eyes. Ever since Wakka's last farewell, not even two minutes could pass by in her mind before she was thinking about _him_ again.

If _he_ were here now… anything would be possible. His words alone would _make_ it possible.

_"I cannot believe what we just did."_

_"Let's do something more unbelievable."_

_"What?"_

_"Destroy Sin. So it won't come back, and without the Final Aeon. I don't know how just yet. But I'll find out."_

And he had. If they had been able to do _that_ two years ago, what could she face now that might prove too much for her to handle? There was nothing.

_Wakka was right,_ she thought. _Thinking about _him_ does make me feel strong. _It was a feeling she never wanted to lose. If she couldn't have him walking with her, she could at least have his strength burning within her. It wasn't enough to make her happy. But she hoped that it would at _least_ be enough to carry her through the coming days.

**ooooooo**

Buddy was sitting by his computer the next morning when Yuna finally came to – having never actually retreated to her bed in the cabin to sleep. She was a little stiff when she got to her feet… but at the same time, she felt surprisingly rested. More so than she had _thought_ she would, anyway.

Rikku, Brother, and Paine were all currently surrounding the navigator, staring with him at his screens intently. Something was up.

Curious, Yuna glanced at Shinra, who was the only one among the Gullwings to have noticed her wake.

"Things are gonna be _so_ much easier around here once I get my commspheres installed," he told her rather haughtily, bringing her to wonder what had happened to simple 'good mornings.'

"What's going on?" she asked as Rikku spun towards her frantically.

"Gippal's missing!"

Yuna blinked. And then started forward to squeeze in beside Paine and Buddy before the computer screen. She stared at it for a minute, but then gave up when she realized the entire message was written in Al Bhed.

"Apparently," Buddy said, turning towards her quite calmly. "The Machine Faction has been working to clear out the fiends in Djose and along Mushroom Rock Road. They've been doing a pretty decent job, too. But last night, some strange kind of private message came for Gippal, and reportedly had quite the affect on him." Buddy shrugged. "Said he had to leave right away. When the guys asked where he was going, he said 'Bevelle,' and that was it."

"The Al Bhed look after their own," Paine said, though her voice was unnaturally soft – even for her. "It's not like Gippal to up and leave when he's in the middle of something, with only one word explanations that don't really explain anything. The Al Bhed are worried, and want the Gullwings to look into it."

"The problem is, Brother's being _totally_ unreasonable!" Rikku exclaimed, crossing her arms and giving the captain an angry sneer.

He just tossed back his head childishly. "Gippal can save himself!" He was _obviously_ still upset over losing business at Youth League Headquarters because the Machine Faction had beaten the Gullwings to the job.

And Yuna herself couldn't help but think of Gippal as that smug, cocky Al Bhed who refused to let her into the Djose Temple, simply because she had already done her part to protect Spira by destroying Sin. Who was _he_ to say that _that_ had been her only part in the world? She had to take Brother's side on this. "I'm sure Gippal knows what he's doing. Aren't there other places that could use the Gullwings' help right now?"

"Aah!" Rikku stared at her cousin in disbelief. Was Yuna choosing Brother over _her_? She glanced over at the man, who was grinning broadly at such luck. And Rikku found herself pouting.

Meanwhile, Paine bit her lip and walked away from the group. She could hear them arguing now – well, more specifically, she could hear Rikku and Brother arguing while Yuna and Buddy just stood back and listened. Paine herself wasn't going to waste time shouting. She needed to think.

Nooj and Baralai had both disappeared awhile ago. And the last time Paine had seen Gippal, she had silently understood that he could only continue on strong because he knew she was still safe, and he wasn't alone in Spira. Alone, as in the only one of his squad still remaining.

But Paine had taken comfort herself in knowing that he was always in Djose if she ever needed him. If he disappeared, than it would be _her_ alone, as the only one of their squad left. That wasn't something she could face.

The thought of being alone like that… was very frightening. Though she knew that Kinoc was dead, and that Yevon wasn't coming after her anymore… she still had flashbacks to her solitude two years ago. First, inside that cave, separated from her friends… and then after, when they had split up, to escape those who would see them dead. Those had been the darkest days in her life. Not knowing where the guys were… if they were okay… or if they had been captured… killed… She couldn't go back to that.

She had to find Gippal. If he needed help… she _had_ to be able to give it to him. But first… she had to help Rikku convince Brother of that.

Turning around, she realized that the sibling argument had already slid into Al Bhed.

"Gippal kadc ymm dra yldeuh!" Brother was declaring angrily. Gippal gets all the action.

Rikku was practically shaking in all her bubbling resent. "Kessa y pnayg!" Gimme a break.

Standing aside, Yuna was terribly amused. But already she could see how much Rikku wanted to and go help Gippal. And the Summoner recognized that desire came out of a deep concern inside the young Al Bhed. A deep concern for a man that, despite herself, meant a lot to her. Yuna understood all too well, and was ready to change her mind and support the girl over the brother.

But before she could, Paine interrupted. "Gippal knows Nooj and Baralai. If he's gone to Bevelle, he might know something about their whereabouts. We _should _look into it."

_Gippal knew Nooj and Baralai?_ Now _that_ remark silenced Brother rather quickly, and the Gullwings all turned towards Paine in surprise. But then… it really _wasn't_ that much of a surprise… was it? Thinking back, Yuna realized that if Paine knew Nooj and Baralai, and if Paine knew Gippal as well, then it made sense that they knew each other, too. At least… it did to Yuna.

Rikku spun towards the Summoner, knowing that if she got Yuna's support next, Brother would be beat. And though it amazed her to think of Gippal so well connected, she wouldn't let something trivial like that delay their possible pursuit. "You see? Think of the reward we'll get if we find all three of the world's missing leaders!"

Brother sighed and shook his head, muttering all the while under his breath. "Gippal'm ryd zyhdn ecc dnum dhyopci."

For a moment, Yuna wondered if the two had been good friends in their childhood. She knew Rikku had known Gippal as a girl, but it rarely occurred to her that Brother must have, too. What had _their _relationship been like as kids? It was a pretty horrifying – and amusing – thought.

Yuna decided to console the poor captain. "We'll just have to charge Gippal a little extra, then, won't we?" Rikku turned towards her cousin hopefully, and Yuna winked. The Al Bhed girl could barely contain her relief – even as Brother nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Good," he said, turning towards his pilot's chair. "Gippal already owes me money. Time to collect."

"Yeah!" Rikku agreed ecstatically. But then she realized what she was agreeing to. Her face fell. "Ooh… Can't we give him a discount?"

And thus, the argument between the two siblings began anew, even as the Celsius lifted off the ground and made for Bevelle.

**ooooooo**


	40. Unhappy Reunion

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! I'd like to thank you all for your reviews. They're always encouraging. Emerald Shadow, if you're still reading, I hope you find this chapter interesting. There _is_ a Rikku/Gippal moment in it, but more importantly, you said you wanted to see Yuna portrayed more as a human and less as a perfectly perfect angel. I didn't change her all that much, but I have attempted making her character a little bit more round – in the literary sense. I hope everyone reads, reviews, and lets me know whether or not it's good and believable. Enjoy!

**ooooooo**

By midmorning, early afternoon, the Gullwings reached Bevelle. The entire city seemed on edge, Yuna noticed, as she, Rikku, and Paine made their way along the bridges that over passed the lower streets, extending from building to building like sidewalks in the sky.

The tension was probably due to Baralai's absence. Without him, New Yevon was leaderless, and in disarray. Considering how they had _just_ appointed him Praetor, it must have seemed terribly discouraging. For all of New Yevon's ambition, it certainly wasn't progressing very quickly.

And a part of Yuna wondered… Could she have prevented this? If she had accepted New Yevon's proposal, and if she had married the last chairman's son… would her leadership have been better? Would Spira have found greater peace? Would they all be in this mess right now concerning Vegnagun and the Aeons if Yuna hadn't been so selfish?

_Was it selfish to refuse?_ Yuna had tempted marriage for the sake of Spira once already. It hadn't worked out. But she couldn't expect _all_ such marriages to fail. As Lulu had once said, people wed for many different reasons. And as a Summoner, if Yuna could bring greater peace through marriage, than so be it. Had she made the wrong choice?

There could never be a straight answer to such a question. Yuna knew from history that certain marriages could create strong alliances, and could bring about solid settlements, and could just satisfy the people, while bringing peace to the land. But then, she also knew from experience that marriage didn't always mean happiness. To this day, thoughts of weddings and vows brought to her mind the horror of the affair with Seymour. After that… she had promised herself that she would never marry but for love.

At this rate, however, that promise would end with her never marrying. The only man she _could_ love was gone. And she didn't know if she would ever see him again… Oh, she _would_ wait for him. There was no doubt about that. But if, god forbid, she should never find him… would it be so terrible to wed for Spira's unity?

It was too late to answer that now. Kind of like how it was too late to ask whether or not she had made the right choice in choosing to support the Youth League. She couldn't change the choices she had made. And, right or wrong, she had to live with them.

Choices were made every day. And some of them could affect the entire known world. Like when she had destroyed Sin for good. But then… it hadn't really been _her_ idea to do that. It had been her Guardian's.

What good choices had Yuna made herself? It had been her decision to play with marriage… and _that_ hadn't exactly ended well. It was tragic how things could go so wrong when you only had the best intentions at heart. In the end… you could end up hurting those you cared about most. Yuna herself had been incredibly lucky. Two years ago, she had brought her dearest friends within an inch of being executed. If they hadn't of escaped that fate… Yuna knew she never would have been able to forgive herself.

She had refused to marry into New Yevon. And now New Yevon was nearing chaos. She had no idea whether or not she could have prevented such a thing… but if she _could_ have… things _could_ be different right now. Was it selfish of Yuna to think of herself before the rest of the world?

She had sided with the Youth League… And buried herself with sphere hunting. These were the choices she had made. They weren't easy. Never in her life had she settled for finding the easy way out. But the real question was… had her choices been the _right_ ones?

It was too difficult to tell. And really… only time could do that. Time… and a certain Guardian. _He_ had always possessed a knack for making the right choices. One couldn't go so far as to call them _smart_ choices… but, somehow, they were always right.

_"A large fiend… Let's go get him!"_

_"Why?"_

_"It's the right thing to do."_

_"It's the right thing to do?"_

_"What'd I say now?"_

_"Jecht said that a lot, too. And every time he said it, it meant trouble for Braska and me."_

The memory hurt. _He_ had always known what was right. Yuna… she _tried_ so hard. She had _always_ tried so hard. But the choices _she_ made… they didn't always work out the way she wanted them to. And she would find herself struggling to live with them… and wondering where to go… how to move on…

_If he were here now,_ Yuna reflected. _Nothing would seem as complicated as it does now. _He_ always knew how to keep from doubting. And doubting is my problem. I doubt too much. It makes everything too hard._

Decisions… and Doubt. Yuna couldn't think of what she dreaded more. And yet… in her heart, she knew she would never surrender their freedom. For without them, Sin never would have been destroyed. They were what allowed a risk to be rewarded. And that alone made them worth the risk of failure.

Yuna sighed. Leave it to a search and rescue within Bevelle to inspire such thoughts. She was grateful that Besaid was her home now, and not the agitated city.

Presently, they were approaching the Temple from above. In all the time they had spent searching for Gippal, while Yuna had been lost in thought, Paine had been silent, and Rikku anxious. Both women wanted to find Gippal. For different reasons, maybe, but still both very much. And until they did, it was apparent that they weren't going to be in any kind of pleasantry.

_We have to find him,_ Paine thought miserably to herself. _It feels as if I've already lost Baralai… and Nooj especially. I can't lose Gippal, too._

"I see him," Rikku suddenly exclaimed.

"Where?" Paine demanded, a little too quickly. But neither Rikku nor Yuna acknowledged it, as the Al Bhed pointed over the bridge's balustrade towards the street beneath them.

Sure enough, Gippal was there, walking towards the Temple. But the way he was walking… Yuna didn't know the Al Bhed like Paine and Rikku did. But it seemed as if… he were actually looking forward to something… only not too eagerly… kind of like a lonely, abandoned child finally facing his parents after years of separation. He wanted to run forward into their embrace… but was afraid that by doing so, they might prove to be nothing more than an illusion.

Yuna had seen that kind of emotion before. She had seen it in _him_, when he had finally confronted his father face to face after ten years apart.

_What was going on? What was Gippal doing there?_

Glancing at Paine, however, Yuna found no answer. Instead, she only saw a similar expression mirrored in the sphere hunter's gaze. For whatever reason… Paine was feeling every _bit_ as hopeful – and terrified – as Gippal seemed to be.

_Was he really leading them to Nooj and Baralai?_ She wondered deep inside her heart. _Would the four of them finally be together again? And what would come of it?_

"Let's hurry," she suggested. Yuna didn't object.

The three hastily made their way over to the lift that would carry them down to the Temple entrance's level. By the time they made it there, however, Gippal had already vanished within the palace walls.

Paine hesitated, and Yuna found herself doing the same thing. The gaol was inside this Temple… The Summoner didn't want to be anywhere _near_ that place.

Rikku was already pulling open the great door when she realized her two companions weren't beside her. Turning round, she looked back at them in wonder. "What're you waiting for?"

"I've been growing to like this Temple less and less," Yuna explained softly. Though she succeeded only in causing the Al Bhed to roll her eyes.

"Well I've liked this place about as much as Sin from day one," she replied. "But _this_ is too important!" She _almost_ said: This is _Gippal_ we're talking about here! But somehow, she managed to hold back _that_ particular urge.

It wouldn't have mattered very much if she had, however, because it was enough to settle the affair in Paine's mind at least. She hurried forward, leaving only Yuna to approach in reluctance.

Inside, the door to the staircase leading down beneath the Temple had recently been opened. It was too heavy a door to be swinging on its hinges or anything, but even still, it was slowly shutting in on itself, having been left open to the wind – not that there was actual _wind_ inside the Temple… In any event, there was no doubt as to which direction Gippal had gone in.

Yuna's fears were realized. She would have to pass through the gaol once again.

"Let's go quickly," Rikku suggested, finally sensing the depths of her cousin's discomfort. Paine nodded, and the three of them descended into the darkness beneath the Temple once more.

As it had been before, the walk through those dark corridors was long and heartrending. But most of all, it was haunting. Thoughts continually flew through Yuna's mind… of her past… of her dreams… more specifically of her nightmares. Beneath this Temple, in her dream, she had been shot to death beside the one she loved. And the more time she spent down there… the more that dream seemed to be _less_ a dream… and more a very real memory.

The worst of it was in the gaol. Thankfully, though, the three women passed by it without incident. They made their way towards the chamber where they had faced Bahamut… and the giant chasm that had taken Vegnagun's place.

However, they did _not_ pass through the entrance in. Instead, they remained safely hidden in the shadows of the corridor where they could watch as Gippal _attempted_ to approach both Nooj and Baralai as casually as he would any other Al Bhed in his Machine Faction. So much for the two of _them_ being missing, for they were certainly as present as Vegnagun was absent. And unfortunately for Gippal, nothing about _any_ of this was in the _least_ bit casual.

Paine caught her breath, even as her heart sped up. _They were there! All three of them._ And if she were to make her presence known, the four of them would be completely back together. She had been waiting for this day for two entire years.

But then… it wasn't right. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. Nooj and Baralai were standing _several_ feet apart, and _neither_ of them looked happy to be there. Only Gippal seemed to share Paine's longing. Only Gippal seemed to have _either_ of the two's consideration – for the two certainly weren't showing _each other_ any solidarity.

"Hey," Gippal said, in an attempt to break the ice as he moved to stand before the other two – creating something of a triangle.

Baralai shook his head knowingly. "You're late."

Nooj actually smiled a bit, before shooting the Praetor a taunting scoff. "If he were on time, then I'd _really_ start to worry."

Rikku had to cover her mouth to keep from snickering. Paine and Yuna, however, were much too focused to be abused by the jibe.

The same could be said for Gippal, who hardly acknowledged it. As much as he _wanted_ the three of them to be buddies again… he _needed_ to understand what was going on. "Sure you should be here? The Youth League and New Yevon are crumbling without you guys to hold 'em together."

It was amazing for Rikku to stand there listening to _Gippal_, of all people, reminding _them_ about responsibility.

Nooj sneered. "You expect too much."

And Gippal shook his head in disapproval. "You should really consider learning from the Al Bhed." He paused, but neither Nooj nor Baralai responded. So he sighed and let it go. "Why are we here?"

"There's something I needed to be sure of," Baralai said in his young, fragile voice. "Vegnagun… is gone." He glanced over at the giant hole in the floor. Gippal followed his gaze and said not a word.

Nooj, however, would have none of it. "Listen to you. 'Vegnagun is gone.'" He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell us that since that _thing_ left on its own, Yevon's not to blame?" He spat out the name 'Yevon' in complete disgust. Not '_New_ Yevon.' Just _Yevon_. Yuna frowned at that. _This_ guy almost sounded bitter towards Yevon the _man_. Not the _belief_, but the historical figure. He hated Yu Yevon.

"It's the truth," Baralai insisted coldly. "The _thing's_ more sensitive than its size would lead one to believe. It detects hostility, and, in an instant, it springs to life. Should one even _think_ of harming it, it awakens like a frightened child."

So _that_ was why Baralai was so adamant about keeping Vegnagun safe. It was like the machina from the Mi'ihen Highroad. Sensitive, they practically developed minds of their own, and were thus like the very _fiends_ that plagued Spira.

"Hah," Nooj regarded Baralai insolently. "You did your homework."

The Praetor looked back at the Meyvn. And for the first time, his gaze seemed to _drip_ with hate. Such an expression burned Paine's heart, and brought Gippal to look away in regret. _What had brought them to such enmity?_

"I've had two years," Baralai informed him.

Gippal looked back up. "So you're saying that Vegnagun woke up because someone was trying to destroy it? Who?"

"Who indeed." Baralai shot Nooj an accusatory glare. "I'm a little confused. You came to claim it for yourself. Didn't you?"

The accusation caught Yuna, Paine, and Rikku _all_ off guard. As far as _they_ had known, Nooj wanted only to destroy the thing. What was all this about him wanting to claim it for himself?

He didn't answer. Instead, he just kept his angry, piercing gaze fixed on Baralai as Gippal watched the both of them in confusion.

"But Vegnagun awoke," the Praetor went on. "_Why_? Because deep down, you _hated_ it?" He shook his head in baffled disgust. "Did you come here to use it or destroy it?"

"Both," Nooj replied in a menacing whisper that the three women could barely make out. Baralai tensed even more than he had already. And Gippal just looked back in forth like a lost child as a cruel smile crossed the Meyvn's lips. He stared at the two of them in amusement. "You probably think that's impossible. You've always been too naïve to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

_This isn't Nooj,_ Paine told herself. Nooj would _never_ act like this. She didn't know _what_ she had hoped to find in him down here, but _this_ wasn't it. This wasn't the Nooj she had befriended as a Recorder those few years ago!

Baralai didn't seem to think so, either, and he shook his head in both anger… and great sorrow. "Then… I hope you don't expect me to trust you, either."

"Baralai," Gippal whispered despondently – not that anyone acknowledged him. Nooj was actually staring at the Praetor with too much… hunger? He seemed to be just _waiting_ for things to lose control.

And they were on the brink of doing just that.

Baralai looked undeniably wretched. He was practically _trembling_ in emotion. "I _believed_ in you once… When we were training for the Crimson Squad… I thought I'd never find a better friend…" Gippal looked down, but Nooj seemed unaffected. He seemed unaffected… even when tears of anger glistened in Baralai's eyes. "But you betrayed that… two years ago."

In a single, flowing movement, Baralai pulled from his belt a large automatic, and aimed it at Nooj.

"Baralai!" Gippal shouted even as Paine, from where she stood concealed, shook in heart stopping horror.

"Why did you shoot?" Baralai demanded furiously, struggling to keep the gun steady. "Why did you shot Gippal and me? We were friends! And you _shot_ us in the back!"

Yuna glanced at Paine, and saw that there were tears in her eyes. The sphere hunter bit her lip and subtly made to wipe them away.

And Nooj just stood there, not even blinking. In fact, he seemed to be _thrilled_ by it all.

Baralai shook his head feverishly. "_Answer me_!"

Gippal stared back and forth between the two before fixing on the Praetor in alarm. He held his hands up. "Just calm down." When Baralai didn't even _acknowledge_ the Al Bhed, he turned towards the Meyvn in ever increasing desperation. "Nooj! Apologize, already!" Nooj ignored him. And Baralai brought his other hand up to the gun, either to simply hold it firmer… or to fire. Gippal assumed the worst and grew frantic. He wasn't ready to give up his friends just yet. "That's enough!"

He drew his own gun and aimed it at Baralai, as if hoping the threat would be enough to convince the Praetor to back off.

Paine flinched.

And _now_, both Baralai _and_ Nooj acknowledged Gippal. A smile crossed Nooj's face again, even as Baralai stared at Gippal's weapon forlornly and considered the order.

But he didn't consider fast enough.

The silver cane that Nooj relied on due to his prosthetic leg suddenly fell.

Both the Praetor and the Al Bhed turned their heads in surprise as it hit the floor with a clank that echoed around the room. And as the cane rested there, Nooj drew himself up menacingly. He body then began to glow in a golden light.

Rikku covered her mouth with both her hands as Paine took a single step forward in astonishment. Yuna sensed something in her heart… that made it both tremble and race in sudden sensitivity that she did not recognize as her own.

"This has turned out perfectly, wouldn't you agree?" Nooj asked the both of them in the strangest sort of voice. It was _his _voice… but it sounded as if there was _another_ one, speaking over it at the exact same time. "Yes. I shot you."

He pulled out a gun himself… and aimed at Gippal.

Gippal. The _one_ who had remained completely neutral, and completely loyal, to each of them all this time.

He grew stone cold as Baralai visibly flinched at Nooj's cruelty. And Paine was too shocked to move. Too _frightened_ to move. For a second, she thought she was back on Mushroom Rock Road two years ago…

Rikku wouldn't have _anyone_ point a gun at Gippal, and made to rush into the room. But Yuna caught her arm, stilling her feet at least for the moment.

The three men were at a deadlock. Standing perfectly still, each of them aiming their weapons at each other, it was like a triangle held together only by the fragile trust that no one was going to shoot.

Nooj spoke again, his voice still echoing in horrible harmony with something else's. "You were easy targets. You… and Paine."

Yuna and Rikku both silently glanced at the sphere hunter, who was shaking her head in near despair.

Again, Gippal seemed to share her feelings, as he stared at Nooj in anguish. "You shot Paine, too?"

"Why?" Baralai asked, any sorrow he _had_ felt now completely overcome by pure rancor.

Nooj chuckled as if amused.

"_Answer me_!" Baralai shouted insistently.

"I _made_ him do it," Nooj replied as the eerie, second voice quickly surmounted over the one that had always belonged to him before. "He was too weak to resist me."

"Nooj?" Gippal asked uncertainly. But the ironic thing was that the one thing that _was_ certain, at least to both Baralai and Paine, was that _this_ was _not_ Meyvn Nooj.

Whoever, or whatever, he was, now turned his gaze toward Baralai. "I don't expect you to present anymore of a challenge. Not now." The golden light that _had_ been radiating around Nooj's body now floated out of him in graceful emanation. And as Nooj collapsed heavily to his knees, that golden glow hovered between the three like a soulless mist.

It paused for a moment, and then drifted over toward Baralai. The Praetor gasped, either in pain or elation, as that golden radiance completely consumed him.

His arms fell to his sides as he stared spitefully down at the prostrate Meyvn. And then… _he_ was the one speaking in the dual voice, with the second one eerily surpassing his own. "See, I found that the mind that _hates_ and _despairs_ is the easiest to break."

Nooj looked up at him, and for the first time, it really was Nooj, and not anyone or anything else.

Baralai smirked. "Two years ago, it was the same with you. Nooj. Seeking your own death."

Nooj flinched, trembling, even as he raised his good hand to finger his own face. But never did he look away from Baralai. His eyes were full of emotion that, for too long, had been a stranger to him, and he stared at the figure of his one time best friend in misery.

Baralai raised his gun again. He held it perfectly steady, when, two minutes ago, _that_ would have seemed impossible. "Now you can have it."

"Wait!" Gippal objected, but Baralai ignored him as he made to fire. As he made to kill…

That was too much for Paine. She sprinted forward in a near panic. "Stop!"

All three men looked towards her in surprise.

And Rikku no longer would be held back. She sprang into the chamber after the sphere hunter. "Gippal!"

When the Al Bhed saw the young girl, he shook his head in frightened urgency. "What are you doing here?"

"Paine!" Nooj shouted, drawing her gaze to him. Their eyes fixed on each other, and Paine felt her heart break in joy to recognize who she saw there. He shook his head. "Get out of here!"

Baralai calmly turned around so that he could aim the gun at the sphere hunter. All eyes were on him as he did this, and Paine grew still as a cornered deer.

But then Yuna was there… walking up behind the woman in concern. And when Baralai saw _her_, he faltered.

"I'm sorry," Nooj whispered, holding up his gun once more to aim at the Praetor. He cocked it.

But then the chasm beyond… the terrible hole made in the floor by a terrible machina… lit up in a brilliant, golden illumination that temporarily blinded everyone in the room – with the possible exception of Baralai himself, for the radiance within the chasm was of the same kind as the radiance blanketing him now.

And when that radiance faded, left behind, there were three giant monsters flying out of the chasm's depths. Fiends. Marlboros. _Disgusting_ green monsters with tentacles for legs and oversized gorgon heads with extra large mouths that dripped with slime. They shot harmlessly past Baralai before cruising towards Gippal, Nooj, and the Gullwings, with every intention to kill.

Rikku shouted as one dove towards her. But Gippal reached her first, pulling her into his arms before diving out of the monster's path. The two of them landed heavily together on the floor.

The Marlboro spun around, and shot its tentacles towards them. They had to scramble up to evade it, and as they went, Gippal turned to run backwards so he could fire his gun at the monster.

Meanwhile, Paine was caught up with one, and Nooj, the other. Aside from Baralai, only Yuna was left ignored by the fiends. Glancing at him, she saw him staring at her in a way that chilled her to the bone. She didn't understand why, but tears filled up in her eyes.

Trying to push them aside, she touched a dressphere, and felt her garments changing as she became a White Mage. Therefore, after Paine's blade managed to slice through one Marlboro, bringing it to burst into large streams of yellow green light that compelled the other two to counter with their famous mind-altering bad breath, she was able to cast a spell that brushed the fog towards the ceiling where it could dissipate harmlessly into nothing.

Baralai shook his head and turned towards the chasm. He walked down into it, disappearing within its depths.

Meanwhile, Paine had turned violently towards the Marlboro that Nooj had been contending with. He watched her in surprise as she angrily unleashed a fury against the fiend that she had been holding within her for two long years. There was no way even a monster _that_ powerful could stand against such passion.

But then there was Baralai… Knowing that Paine could handle herself against a fiend brought Nooj no comfort in regard to how helpless Baralai would be up against what he was facing now. Nooj knew that too well, for up until five minutes ago, it had been _him_ who was helpless.

Gritting his teeth and grabbing his cane, Nooj charged towards the chasm, _refusing_ to allow his best friend to be held under as he himself had been for two long years.

Gippal saw him go. "Nooj!" He raced after his friend as Rikku battled the Marlboro. Normally, he never would have left her… But Yuna was in her Gunner's Garment again, and she was backing the girl up. The two of them _had_ defeated Sin together after all. Gippal truly believed they would outlive an ugly Marlboro. What he _wasn't_ so sure about was that Nooj would be able to pull off retrieving Baralai without him.

Paine slew the Marlboro in time to turn her head and watch the two men disappear after the Praetor into the chasm. And though a part of her wanted to chase after them more than anything in her life… she found herself instead standing perfectly still.

The final fiend burst into yellow green light, and Rikku spun around. "Where's Gippal?"

Paine turned towards her two friends, feigning indifference again. "I saw him and Nooj run after Baralai."

Rikku spun towards the chasm, somehow just _knowing_ that Baralai had fled in its direction. She started towards it purposefully, so that both Paine _and_ Yuna were required to hold her back from its depths.

She tried shaking them off. "Let go! Gippal's a moron! He's gonna need help!"

"We have no idea what's down there," Yuna objected, though a part of her understood what Rikku was feeling. If it had been _her_ Guardian down there… she wouldn't have had _them_ trying to stop _her_ from following, either.

"That's exactly my point!" Rikku shot back.

"Gippal's not alone down there," Paine stated firmly, summoning up solid logic as to why they shouldn't follow – for a part of the sphere hunter still most definitely did. A part of her wanted to follow even more than the Al Bhed. "He's with Nooj! They're part of a team! You should know, Rikku, that when teams set up objectives, they can't have additional people hanging around to distract them! That is _all_ that you'd end up doing for Gippal, which could put him even _more_ at risk!"

"But aren't they one man down, or something?" Rikku asked, ceasing her struggling, but still staring at the pit before her forlornly.

"They'll get Baralai back," Paine said assuredly, though not feeling _half_ as confident as she sounded. "But they work best alone." Paine should know. She had only spent _months_ of training with them, recording them on their exercises. Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal had always had a solid method of doing anything that they had been assigned to do. And though they hadn't been a team in two years… Nooj was himself again. And he and Gippal would rediscover their old way of doing things rather quickly, and everything would be fine. They would find Baralai… and the three of them would be friends again. No more of that Youth League against New Yevon with the Machine Faction on the side crap. No more of that division. Paine _wanted_ them to be a team again. And she _prayed_ that this might be the first step towards that reality.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Rikku asked in a timid voice.

Paine nodded. And though deep down she couldn't be certain, for no one could see the future, and, as Yuna had said, they had no _idea_ what was down there, in her heart, she knew that if _anyone_ would be okay within that pit, it would be Nooj and Gippal. They were too stubborn to let anything get in their way before finding Baralai again. Even for an Al Bhed, Gippal was resourceful. And Nooj…

Paine couldn't stop thinking about the way he had looked at her, not even _half_ an hour ago. For the first time in two years… she had truly seen him again. Not an image of him, leading the Youth League as lifelessly as his statue in Guadosalam seemed to lead on Leblanc… But the real him. The Nooj she had known when she had been a mere recorder following him around as he trained for the Crimson Squad. He was once again the Nooj she remembered… and the Nooj she trusted with her life…

"You knew the three of them pretty well," Yuna observed quietly, not feeling _half_ the hope that was secretly coursing through the sphere hunter's veins.

Paine nodded. "Long ago."

Rikku glanced at her sullenly. "But Nooj…? He… he shot you…?"

And suddenly, all Paine's hope was swept up under a cloud of terrifying memories. Her face darkened, and she looked down. "Yes, he shot us. In our backs." But that hadn't been Nooj… had it?

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku asked.

Paine gave her a dubious look. "Would you have told me that one of your three closest friends had betrayed you like that?"

"Well, I…" Rikku hesitated.

"There are some things you just don't say out loud," the sphere hunter told her harshly.

"I…" Rikku shook her head, blinking back sudden tears. _Why was she crying?_ "I understand…" Two years ago, on Yunie's pilgrimage, they had never discussed her impending death aloud. It had always been… two painful. One Guardian in particular hadn't even been _aware_ of its approach for quite some time… until keeping it in near denial grew too much for Rikku to bear, and she let it all out in a pitiful tirade within her falling Home. Needless to say, _he_ had _not_ been happy.

Some things just hurt too much to bear words. Instead, people lied to each other, by telling things not as they were, but by softening them in order to lessen, or numb, the pain. They sheltered each other within the comforts of gentle words.

"I'm sorry," Yuna said.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go after them?" Rikku asked, glancing once again towards the hole in the floor. "It feels like we're abandoning them." Gippal was down there… Instinct was _screaming_ at Rikku to follow.

Paine hesitated, looking over towards the chasm herself. The longer they stayed in that room, the more she found herself _agreeing_ with the Al Bhed. _What had she been _thinking_? She _needed_ to pursue them! She couldn't allow a moment's fear to keep her from her friends!_ "I… I don't know." She glanced almost helplessly at Yuna.

Another choice. Did they follow Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal? Or not?

Yuna stared at the hole for several minutes. Was she afraid? Or just uncertain? She remembered that _look_ Baralai had given her. When his gaze had taken her in… it had frightened her more than anything else in her life ever had before. More than even the prospect of facing Sin. Because something about Baralai's gaze had touched her… _inside_ her. She had _felt_ something… She didn't know or understand what. But she _had_ felt it. And that frightened her.

The fear was all-consuming. And Yuna, to her great shame, couldn't, at that particular moment, face it. She needed to escape… The thought of running into that chasm after Baralai was too awful. Even for the benefit of Paine and Rikku, Yuna couldn't do it.

They were watching her expectantly – waiting for her to make up her mind and decide what to do. It was her choice. And they probably both half expected her to run in after Spira's three leaders without another second's thought.

But that was not a choice she could make. Right or wrong, her heart could only bear one thing. Even when trying to focus on her Guardian's memory, all that came to her mind was the memory of a nightmare she had once had. Where, in this very room, the two of them had both been killed at the foot of a monstrous machina. Such thoughts did not give her strength. They only brought despair.

Shaking her head while holding back tears, Yuna turned. And without a word, she fled from the chamber, and from the chasm, as quickly as she could without even once bearing to look back.

**ooooooo**


	41. Unexpected Brilliance

**ooooooo**

Rikku and Paine caught up with Yuna outside the Temple, where she was waiting for them up on one of the bridges that passed over and above Bevelle's ground level streets. The sky had grown slightly overcast since their venture beneath the Temple, and no one would have been greatly surprised should it start to rain at any moment. It was strange… strange in Yuna's mind, at least, that the weather should reflect her inner turmoil so well.

"I'm sorry," she said as Rikku and Paine came to stand beside her. And for a few minutes, they stood together, overlooking the city, and watching as men and women hastened back and forth, from place to place, worrying about New Yevon and getting done their various jobs and activities before a possible storm.

For once… neither of the two asked her if she were okay… or assured her that she had done nothing wrong. It was all still too recent. There had been parts of Paine and Rikku both that had truly _wanted_ to follow Nooj and Gippal into that chasm. Yuna, however, had chosen to run away instead. Neither of the two were _angry _at her… but they _were_ kind of surprised… and somewhat disappointed.

There was no way they could have understood that, as much as they each wanted to go after Nooj and Gippal, Yuna wanted to avoid Baralai even more.

"What do we do now?" she asked, though not necessarily to them. She wished her Guardian was there… _He_ could have answered that question without breaking a sweat.

Paine glanced at Yuna almost bitterly. How could she ask that question now, when it had been _her_ decision to run from the chasm? Paine understood that no one, not even High Summoners, were perfect, but she had chosen to follow Yuna over Nooj. Such allegiance was not easily given, especially so soon after rediscovering her closer friend. Yuna should have had _some_ kind of plan… or idea… Instead, she just stood there looking over the city in uncertainty.

"We should go to Djose," Rikku suggested. "The Al Bhed wanted us to look into finding Gippal. We owe it to them to let them know he might be a little busy for awhile." There was no way, no way in _Spira_, that Rikku would even _consider_ the possibility that Gippal might not be coming back at all.

**ooooooo**

The sky was still dreary that afternoon when the Celsius landed on Mushroom Rock Road outside of Djose. And the Gullwings were no less disheartened, either. They walked over the town bridges silently, as the Al Bhed and other residents watched them somberly. It was easy to tell that the women were not bearing good news.

One Al Bhed approached Rikku warily. "Gippal?"

"Drehk'c ynah'd muugehk jano kuut," she apologized. Thing's aren't looking very good. "Gippal sekrd pa yfrema." He might be awhile.

The Al Bhed shook his head, greatly displeased. "Fa haat res. Fa dneat vekrdehk dra veahtc uh uin ufh, pid fa uhmo syta drehkc funca. Dra veahtc vuiht y fyo du sanka fedr uin machina."

Rikku whimpered, sagging in on herself. "That's _so_ not what we need right now."

"What is it?" Yuna asked quietly, and her cousin turned towards her in sympathy.

"The fiends here are really bad. They're merging with our machina."

"Then that's our cue," Yuna said delicately. She looked over at the Al Bhed guarding the Temple's entrance – making sure that no fiends got outside.

"They don't want you going," Rikku informed the Summoner. "Because of what Gippal said about relying on you too much."

"Gippal's not here," Yuna reminded her. _Besides… more than likely, that's my Aeon in there. I'm the only one who should have to deal with this._ Without waiting, and without acknowledging the hurt on Rikku's face at being so reminded of Gippal's absence, she started towards the Temple.

The Al Bhed holding their weapons up towards the door sensed Yuna's approach and looked back at her in surprise. She spoke one of the few Al Bhed words she did know: "Cunno." And then she entered without delay. Paine and Rikku made haste to follow her.

It was dark inside. Lightning sizzled around the walls, bringing to Rikku's mind images of the Thunder Plains. Spare bits of machina littered the floor… and she stared down at them forlornly.

"These aren't salvageable," Yuna observed. And Rikku nodded.

Memories of a happier time passed through the Al Bhed girl's mind. Of a time when the three of them had been more carefree together… dealing only with their never-ending search for spheres… and leading them to dig through the sands of Bikanel.

_"There isn't any machina anywhere that I can't handle!"_ Rikku was beginning to understand that that arrogance might not have been so true after all.

Before they took anymore steps towards the Cloister of Trials, a handful of fiends swept forward from the shadows and came at them hungrily.

In an instant, Yuna's guns were in her hands, and she was firing furiously. At the same time, Paine had her sword in hand, cutting through the merged monster machines' combinations of arteries and wiring. Flesh became yellowish green light, and metal became even more bits of junk piling on the floor.

Rikku fought less directly. Because there were machina involved, such things, for her, took more care. She would methodically charge towards a fiend, tear apart the machina that had become vital to its survival, and gracefully fall back again as the fiend dissolved. It was a dangerous way to do things. But Rikku felt it appropriate.

After everything that had happened beneath Bevelle, the Gullwings found themselves feeling somewhat estranged. These short skirmishes did not quicken their blood or make them feel any less distracted. They were simply going through the motions, and not in their regular unit. They felt cut apart, even as they cut down their foes.

Once that first room was cleared, they made their way up the stairs into the Cloister. It actually spanned three levels, and with the fiends to contend with, making their way to the Chamber of the Fayth was a long, slow process that did nothing to brighten their moods.

In fact, their moods only worsened when they passed out of the Cloister and into the Hall of the Fayth. By some happenstance, several fiends had gathered various bits of machina, and had carted them down to this room. And presently, they were standing back, watching a particular creature merge with their trophies.

The creature was a great white stallion literally decked in golden armor that matched the curved golden horn jutting out of its brow. A unicorn. A unicorn merging itself with machinery. Even then, lightning surged around its horn, and it pounded a cloven hoof against the rocky floor.

"An Aeon," Rikku said needlessly. Yuna stared at it, silently mourning, even as she drew both her guns and loaded them.

The fiends that surrounded Ixion charged towards the Gullwings. And without another word, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all separated to fight them.

The smaller fiends were, naturally, taken out fairly quickly. But the two larger ones lasted long enough for Ixion to complete his merger and shoot Yuna a rather long, haunting stare.

Rikku had changed dresspheres. Now a Black Mage, she shot lightning spells at the machinery – which _was_ an effective way to injure the fiends that lived off the equipment. Unlike Ixion, _these_ creatures did _not _rejuvenate through an overdose in electricity. By the time all the fiends in that room were gone, however, she was a tad bit worn out by the cost in effort magic sometimes took.

Ixion was a powerful Aeon. Perhaps not so powerful as Bahamut or Yojimbo. But as a unicorn, the creature had greater dexterity, speed, and a sword of his own that Yuna's Brotherhood would only amplify as a watery conductor. And with the machina in addition, clamping to his face, back, and legs like bits of extra armor, not even a golden bridle could have contained his might.

Letting out a loud whinny that echoed in despair, Ixion kicked off his forelegs, standing tall. Lightning zapped around the room in literally hundreds of bolts.

Rikku screamed as her fear of lightning temporarily resurfaced.

And Yuna – as much as she _loathed_ that particular dressphere – found herself transforming into her Songstress Garment. The garments had been created in part for the use of non-elemental magic. The fact that someone else's memories and feelings would often overlap her own was just an unforeseen inconveniency on Shinra's part. A defect. But one that nothing could be done about.

Even still, the Garment had its uses. In it, when Yuna unleashed her emotions, she sent a spell careening into Ixion that silenced his own magic. The lightning almost immediately dispersed.

Angry, Ixion charged towards the Summoner. She turned in a half attempt to back away, but the unicorn effortlessly dove around her and came at her from behind. She found herself stumbling towards the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth. Ixion was herding her towards it like a dog might herd sheep.

Paine charged towards the Aeon with her sword upraised. But the unicorn sensed her coming and turned to meet her with his own horn to counter her blade. And the power of such an Aeon's horn outmatched the sphere hunter's. She was thrown backwards. Ixion turned his attention back to Yuna.

For the time being, the Summoner attempted humoring him. As he threateningly urged her backwards, she cautiously walked backwards, deeper into the actual Chamber. Behind her, she sensed another terrible chasm in the floor. Her heart raced in her throat.

That chasm…

For all she knew, all the secrets of the world might have been hidden in its depths… But she didn't care. Those secrets weren't for her, and whatever lay within it was too frightening to comprehend. Yuna was not at all comfortable having an Aeon edge her towards it. And though her Garment _had_ managed to silence Ixion's magic, now, standing in the delicate blue black dress with its lace and drapery, she felt strangely vulnerable.

Towering before her, Ixion reared up once again, bearing every intention of trampling her beneath his cloven hoofs.

"Look out!" Paine shouted, running forward to attempt a second strike. Yuna obeyed, backing away, even closer to the edge of the hole, as Paine vaulted into the air behind Ixion's back.

Violently slashing her blade down on him, in a matter of seconds, Ixion was crumbling into a blaze a purplish blue glitter. And Paine landed in the midst of it, crouching down low as the machina pieces bound to the Aeon fell towards the ground.

But when they hit the ground, they erupted into violent shockwaves.

Paine was sent flying backwards towards the Hall of the Fayth where Rikku stood watching in horror. As for Yuna…

She was sent flying in the opposite direction… out over the great, broad hole that burrowed down beneath the ground.

"Yuna!" Paine shouted in horror when she realized what was happening.

"Yunie!" Rikku screamed, racing towards her cousin in a panic.

Gravity began pulling the Summoner down. It left her with no energy to shout or fight or even to fear. Instead, she simply felt herself falling headfirst into the chasm's depths. It reminded her of falling from the height of the palace in Bevelle two years ago… on the day of her wedding.

But she had been able to fly then. Now, she had no Aeons to catch her and lift her back up. So instead, she continued to fall.

She fell until she was completely consumed by an unexpected brilliance.

**ooooooo**


	42. In the Farplane

**ooooooo**

_It's so bright…_

Everything was white. That was the only thing she could see as the sensation of plummeting downwards came to a pause. What happened?

Her body trembled… and then felt hollow. She could barely keep her eyes open. Was this how a person died? Yuna just felt so tired… it would be so easy closing her eyes to the brightness… and trying to sleep. She knew she could use the rest.

"Can you hear me?"

The voice echoed around her, but Yuna was too tired to search for its source. There was something familiar about it. Comforting, even. The voice _sounded_ gentle, and tender. Yuna knew she had heard it before, and though she also knew that she should be a heck of a lot more anxious to find its owner, she couldn't bring herself to stress. She just wanted to sleep.

To dream.

And so her body relaxed, and she closed her eyes. _Let this happen…_ "Yes." Her voice was a whisper. She found that when she spoke, she sounded ethereal… and not at all physical.

"Ah. You can hear me."

Yuna tried opening her eyes, but they were too heavy. And though a part of her, again, should have been alarmed by this, she wasn't. If she was afraid of anything at all, it was only that she might not get to look upon his face. "I can't see you. Where are you?"

"Right here."

Some soft – almost feathery – kind of surface materialized beneath her, so that she was lying on her face and stomach. She couldn't open her eyes to it yet, but she could smell it, and the fragrance was unlike anything in her world.

Slowly, a new world began taking shape around her. Yuna could sense the changes, and she could do nothing to stop them. All she did was lie there, as if deeply, deeply asleep. And a part of her didn't want to wake up. _This_ was peaceful. _This_ was bliss.

The ethereality she had felt in herself diminished, and she felt herself solidifying once more. _Now_, she could open her eyes. And when she did, she felt more rested than she ever had before in the Celsius's cabin.

_How long have I been asleep?_ Slowly, she pushed up with her arms – only to grow perfectly still. Where was she?

A flowerbed? The most beautiful flowerbed in all the world. Gently cultivated, the lavender petals were softer than feathers, and their fragrance was warm and soothing. Yuna slowly sat up, as if waking from a one thousand year sleep to find herself in this flowery glen that extended in either direction for as far as her eyes could see.

Bordering the sides of the glen, however, as if it were a valley, there were waterfalls. Cascades of water pouring down from multiple, circular pools that tranquilly reposed upon various earthen outcrops at different altitudes. The music created by the falling water was at once thunderous and quiet. A paradox that was most breathtaking.

Along the horizon, the sky was a soft purple. Overhead, however, it darkened considerably. But not to make the glen any less rapturous. Only with a dark sky could the northern lights shine and dance so resplendently. Yuna stared up at them, spellbound. Never, in all of Spira, had she ever seen a place more beautiful.

But then, she recognized it.

Somewhere, high above this glen, there was another outcrop that did _not_ bear any waterfalls. From its height, men and women all over Spira would stand and visit with the memories of lost loved ones. It was the Farplane, in Guadosalam.

But to Yuna's knowledge, no one had ever sat among these flowers before. No one had ever _dreamed_ of venturing farther into the Farplane than that one outcrop. Did that mean…? No. Yuna was certain she was still breathing. She was not dead. But how did she get here?

She was still dressed in her Songstress Garment. The blue top, trimmed with its white lace, and the black skirt, left much of her skin exposed, and Yuna felt slightly cold. It was a chill that did not come from the Farplane's temperature…

Shakily, she stood up, all the while looking for any kind of sign that she was not here alone. She regretted the choice, though, for as soon as she was on her feet, a silver light emanated around her.

She gasped, trembling, as pyreflies seemed to float out of her garment, circling and dancing around her like fairies. They were beautiful, but still… at the sight of them, Yuna trembled. "What's happening?"

A mist had slowly crawled over some of the flowers. The pyreflies danced in its direction, and Yuna gazed over at the foggy tendrils apprehensively. Someone was there… shadows… walking towards her.

Yuna's heart pounded steadily in her throat as she realized she wasn't alone. And through the fog, he was there… still walking towards her.

Slowly, she grew able to make him out, though he was still several yards away from her. She could see his tall, athletic, but somewhat small frame – he was not a bulky guy. He was dressed in dark, even pants, and a yellow shirt that was barely visible beneath dark padding with a long red V strip of a collar. His short sleeves, fluttering in the breeze, were checkered red and black. They were not the same clothes she remembered _him_ wearing two years ago, but the closer he came to her, the more she recognized his face.

It was the same face, the same bone structure… his eyes were the same deep, deep blue. The only aspect that looked even the _slightest_ bit different was his hair. It was still the same blonde. But it was styled differently. Some of it fell into his face. But not in an altogether unattractive way.

Yuna's face twisted – either into grief or great, great happiness. She wasn't sure which quite yet. All she knew was that she was choking inside. Bursting for the need to cry.

He stood before her, gazing at her with loving, devoted eyes. And he smiled gently. "I finally found you."

It sounded so much like _him_, that Yuna couldn't help but take two eager steps forward. "Is that really you?"

His smile turned fond, and he nodded happily. "It is me. Shuyin."

_Shuyin._

Yuna felt every portion of her heart shatter, as if one of her bullets had strayed into it, breaking it to pieces like glass. It wasn't _him_. She couldn't bear it. She turned away, closing her eyes, her lashes wet with unshed tears.

Behind her, she sensed him starting towards her again, calmly closing the distance between them. "I've waited so long, Lenne."

Lenne… the woman mentioned in the sphere from Kilika. Yuna grew tense at the sound of her name. She grew tense as she realized what a horrible misunderstanding this all was. She had been searching for her Guardian. She had found Shuyin. Shuyin had been searching for Lenne. He had found Yuna. The mistake was tortuous. And she felt lost within its grasp. "But I'm not Lenne."

If he had heard her words, he certainly didn't acknowledge them. He just watched her sadly, as if, by turning away, she had reminded him that there was still much he needed to do before they could reunite.

"Lenne…" His voice was sad. Anguished. It reminded Yuna of the Aeons. "We disappeared together, but when I awoke, I was alone. I looked for you for so long." Now, his voice turned bitter. And Yuna knew… it _couldn't_ have been her Guardian. "While I wandered, I realized something. Spira hasn't really changed at all. Everyone's still fighting over nothing. Still dying as they used to."

Yuna's lip trembled in pain, and she looked up towards the northern lights in the sky, as if concentrating on them might take this hurt away.

"A thousand years have passed, and they still can't leave the hatred behind!" Shuyin started towards her again. "Well I'm through waiting." Something about the way he spoke those words terrified Yuna in a way she couldn't describe. "I'll fix it. This world continues to fail us, and what's worse…" He paused again, and clenched the fist hanging at his side. "I failed to protect you." He shook his head. "Vegnagun will make that all go away."

He was standing directly behind her now. Yuna could feel him… she could see his shadow falling over hers, and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. Never in her life had she _ever_ felt more helpless than she did at that moment, listening to him talk about Vegnagun and the world… and protecting her.

"And we'll fade together again," he whispered, holding his hands out towards her shoulders. "Together… Help me do it, Lenne."

"Don't touch me," she breathed, but he did not heed her command. His hands brushed her shoulders, and turned her around to face him. She gasped at how close he was. At how solid and very real he was. She looked up into his eyes, and saw a devotion in them that brought even more tears to hers. He pulled her close, and wrapped his arms around her.

His body was warm, his arms protective. But they offered no peace to Yuna's anguish. She could not hug him back, and was helpless to pull away. Instead, she stood there stiffly in his arms as the silver light returned to bathe her garment in its glow once again.

_Whose feelings are these?_ For a moment, she felt mesmerized. Mesmerized by the _need_ to just accept the man who held her so close. She found that even his very _scent_ reminded her of her Guardian. It would be so easy to just close her eyes and forget. To just allow the mistake to be made, and to spend eternity here with Shuyin.

There was only one man she truly desired. And Shuyin was the closest that she had been to him in two years. It would be impossible for her not to feel at all tempted. How could she deny such a longing… when this mirage was so utterly convincing? It certainly didn't help her any that there were emotions streaming through her that did not belong to her. And _they_ were all calling out to Shuyin as desperately as _she_ was calling out for her Guardian.

She just wanted to surrender… It was just too hard…

Whose feelings were these, indeed?

_Lenne's?_

_Mine?_

Yuna's eyes closed, and something changed. Her dress, for one, ceased its silvery glow, and the pyreflies distanced themselves from her. But it was more than that. Shuyin was changing, too.

_No!_ Yuna thought desperately. _Don't change! Don't slip away!_ As much as everything about him terrified her, the thought of losing him now, the thought of losing the one link she had finally found to her Guardian, now, was too much. She didn't want this moment, horrible as it was, to end.

Or was it someone else's thoughts that didn't want it to end?

Yuna was so confused. So lost. And she just wanted to hold on fast for as long as she could.

She _should_ have realized that the more she tried to grab hold of a fleeting dream, the quicker it faded into nothing.

"Open your eyes!"

The strange new voice sounded so desperate that it might have had an urgent "please" attached somewhere in its midst.

Nooj?

Yuna opened her eyes and everything was different. She was still in the Farplane… but she was _not_ there alone with Shuyin. Instead, she was once again in her regular garment… and the man holding her in his arms was Baralai.

Nooj and Gippal were there, too, a few yards away, watching in what was obviously apprehensive consternation.

Yuna inhaled deeply in alarm, even as Baralai released her and spun towards the two newcomers. The Summoner collapsed down onto her hands and knees as Gippal quite unhappily aimed a gun at Baralai's face, as if in an attempt to ward him off.

But Baralai understood… Gippal wasn't _about _to actually fire the weapon. He smirked at the Al Bhed's apparent weakness.

"The end is not far now." Baralai spoke in that same dual voice as he had beneath Bevelle. It echoed nightmarishly around the glen, and Yuna looked up at him in revulsion.

The last time she had _ever_ felt so violated… was the day she had allowed Seymour Guado to kiss her.

_Why was this happening? What had she done so wrong, to be punished so cruelly like this?_ It hadn't been the image of her Guardian holding her. Shuyin wasn't even _close_ to her Guardian! She could see that now, when Baralai's face revealed the truth that her Guardian's face had masked. How could she have let Shuyin fool her so?

Baralai turned and retreated into the mist from whence Shuyin had emerged. Gippal ran after him, but didn't get fifty feet before the possessed Praetor was completely gone, without a trace. As far as Gippal could tell, he had simply vanished in a fog that would claim absolutely no one else within its vapors.

When the Al Bhed turned back towards Nooj in disappointment, the Meyvn was kneeling beside Yuna in concern. "Are you hurt?"

"Scarred, maybe," Yuna admitted in a whisper, unable to meet his gaze. A concerned Nooj was the last thing she had _ever_ expected. It made him so different from the man she had met in Kilika and at Youth League headquarters. She didn't know how to face him. Besides, at _that_ particular moment, she didn't want to face _anyone_. "But not hurt."

Nooj helped her to her feet. "Where's Paine?"

"Where's Rikku?" Gippal added quickly, _clearly_ concerned.

Yuna hesitated. "I… I don't know. They didn't fall into the Farplane with me. They might still be in Djose."

Nooj nodded, before pressing a crimson sphere solidly into her hand. "If you find Paine… give this to her. I know she's been looking for them. This was all I could find."

Yuna slowly turned her gaze onto the small little orb. It was glowing softly… master of untold secrets… supplier of untold questions. Spheres, Yuna now realized, had caused more trouble than they were worth. Despite all the time she had spent hunting them… she had found answers to nothing.

"Give her this one, too," Gippal said, tossing yet another in her direction. She caught it dully, barely able to even nod her head.

"What are they?" she asked.

Nooj chuckled a bit. "Our wills."

The joke was not funny. Yuna stared at him as if he were out of his mind, and Gippal – though he _had_ smiled himself – was a keen enough observer to understand.

"Just ignore him," he suggested lightly. "And make sure Paine gets 'em, all right?"

Yuna turned towards him pleadingly. "How do you know her?"

Gippal shrugged, as inclined to answer such a question as Paine herself was. "The four of us go way back."

"Gippal," Nooj nodded in the direction Baralai had taken. The Al Bhed nodded, and together, they both turned to go.

Shock set in as Yuna realized they intended to go after their friend… leaving her there by herself. "Don't go!"

She couldn't be alone!

She was afraid to be alone!

What if Shuyin returned?

She couldn't bear to face him again!

Her memories… they haunted her… and what with Shuyin and the emotions she felt within herself from her Songstress Garment… She could barely tell the difference anymore between her own memories and nightmares!

She was so afraid… She felt so lost.

Nooj paused, but did not look back at her.

Gippal, however, did, and glanced at her in near embarrassment. "I know it's not very gallant of us to just take off like this… but we gotta find our friend." He offered her a comforting smile. "We'll have it under control."

She shook her head slowly and Gippal looked greatly ashamed.

"Take care of things topside," Nooj commanded in a solid voice. "You'll be fine." He started into the fog after Baralai.

Gippal hesitated only a moment longer. "I'm sorry. Keep an eye on Rikku for me."

Yuna stood there silently in anguish as the Al Bhed turned and followed the Meyvn. And within seconds, she was once again entirely alone.

**ooooooo**

Yuna didn't know where she was. It felt like she had been walking on and on forever… without end. The Farplane sure was a big place.

_I'm lost…_

Lost. Alone. Not to mention scared and tired. _Yevon_, was she tired. She could barely carry on upright, and it was getting harder for her to keep her eyes open. Why had Gippal and Nooj just left her there? It felt like she would _never_ find her way back to her own world.

_Was this how her Guardian had felt right after being pulled from Zanarkand?_ There was nothing worse than being taken from your home, and stripped from the ones you loved most… unable to ever find your way back to them.

Yuna's heart was heavy in despair.

And as her exhaustion wore her down, the very glen around her seemed to fade away. The sky darkened, the lights disappeared. The cascades stopped running, and the flowers withered to dust.

Yuna was left standing in a void of emptiness and hopeless desolation.

_Where am I?_ She made to move one foot forward, but found that she couldn't. She was frozen in place. Transfixed. Cold. Lifeless. Like the statue of Nooj within Chateau Leblanc.

She couldn't even bring herself to shed real tears.

Instead, they burned within her heart. Her anguish filled up inside so much that it might have overflowed – if something wasn't holding it in, literally smothering her with grief.

_This is why,_ she realized. _This is why the Aeons were lashing out at her._ For whatever reason, they were all being pulled into this place where the hurt was so powerful that the only way to escape it was to release it in an act of insurmountable passion. Passion that became violence.

If Yuna stayed her much longer, she would become the same. She would fall into that pit of madness… with no way out.

_Please…_

_I don't want this…_

She opened her mouth in a pitiful attempt to scream. But no sound came out at all. The deprivation of such freedom suffocated her. She thought she was going to die.

Kneeling down, she was but a _moment_ away from completely surrendering her strength. Surely it would be easier to just stop struggling…

Something whistled in her ears.

Yuna looked up sharply. _What was that?_

There was another whistle. It was clearer this time. Yuna recognized it. And she found herself standing up as all the pain she _had_ been feeling slipped far, far away. She glanced around through the darkness, searching.

Somehow, the search no longer felt so achingly impossible.

She called out to him. Nothing stopped her voice now. She could shout out as long and as loudly as she liked, without fear of being checked. And if felt so ridiculously good to have that freedom back again. "Where are you?"

Wakka's words returned to her. _"Concentrating on _him_ will give you strength."_

They did. Oh, god, they did.

The whistle was in front of her now. Yuna sprang towards it, running hopefully forward as fast as she could go. Nothing held her back.

She found herself approaching the foot of a stairwell. Pausing before it, she looked up. Each and every one of the stairwell's steps rose up towards the entrance of a room bathed in light.

And standing at the top of it… there was a man. Yuna could only see his silhouette. She couldn't even make out his face. But she knew who it was… And it wasn't Shuyin.

_That whistle is _our_ promise._

Trembling, Yuna ran up those stairs. And with each step she took, her heart lightened. Each step upwards was a step away from that despair… from that anguish…

Even two years later, _he_ was still protecting her.

Tears poured down her face. But they were tears of joy. And they remained tears of joy. Even when she reached the top of the stairs… and found that he had not been there after all.

Stepping out of the darkness and into the room beyond it, Yuna found herself walking out of the chasm in the chamber beneath the Temple of Bevelle. She was out of the Farplane. She was out of the darkness. And back in Spira.

Walking forward, and feeling so much lighter than she had in days, Yuna pulled from her belt a receiver similar to the one Rikku possessed.

She clicked it on. "Brother? Are you there? This is Yuna."

The response was immediate. The Gullwings had been looking for her diligently. And now they had found her. Within an hour, they would reach Bevelle and fetch her back to the airship. Where she now felt she truly belonged.

**ooooooo**


	43. Past and Future

**ooooooo**

"Yunie!" The moment Rikku laid eyes on her cousin, she had the Summoner in a tight, relieved embrace. And it didn't take much longer after that for Brother, and even Buddy and Shinra, to follow suit. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

All was forgiven. The fact that Yuna had been unable to follow Baralai, Nooj, and Gippal into the chasm when they had all been together beneath Bevelle wasn't even relevant anymore. Glancing at Paine, who was standing a few feet away from the swarm of Gullwings now crowding around her, Yuna could see that it was the same with her as well. They no longer held her fearful uncertainty against her. They were just so happy to find her safe again.

Brother began sputtering his own insatiable joy in Al Bhed. "Fryd y nameav! E druikrd fa ryt mucd oui!"

Yuna glanced at him with an amused frown as Buddy talked around the captain.

"He's been blubbering about how he couldn't go on living if something were to happen to you." The navigator winked, and Yuna heard the mixture of a laugh and a sigh escape her lips. And then, the lot of them started back for the airship.

"What happened?" Rikku asked as they climbed inside. "We didn't hear anything for so long!" She gestured wildly at Shinra. "We even tried tossing a commsphere in after you! But it didn't help one bit!"

Yuna glanced over at the boy questioningly. "You sacrificed one of your commspheres to find me and it didn't work?"

Shinra shrugged. "It was still in beta. If you were to fall in today, however, it'd be a different story."

"So your spheres are being perfected?" Yuna asked.

The boy nodded cockily. "I even recruited the Al Bhed in Djose to spread some of the final models around Spira for me."

"Congratulations-"

"Enough of _that_!" Rikku whined, impatiently interrupting. She sounded more like a child than even Shinra did. "We wanna know what happened!"

"Yes! Yes!" Brother agreed emphatically. They were piling into the cockpit now, and Rikku invited Yuna to sit in her own chair while she instead plopped down on the floor. The others quickly sat – or in Paine's case, stood – around the Summoner.

"Well…" Yuna began, slowly, thinking back to everything that had happened. Somehow, it didn't bother her… sharing these details about Shuyin. The only thing she found that she truly wanted to keep to herself were the details about _him…_ Her Guardian. They wove the one secret she would not speak aloud.

"I landed in the Farplane," she told them, and they held on tightly to each and every word. "And I was greeted by a man named Shuyin. He…" She considered carefully her next few words. "He was the man in the sphere we stole from Kilika. And in the sphere Logos and Ormi showed us at Chateau Leblanc."

She was certain of it. No one had locked _her_ Guardian up in a gaol underneath Bevelle. That had been Shuyin's fate. _He_ had been the one interrogated for who knew how long in a cell so small it was a wonder he could even breathe within its confines.

Rikku covered her mouth with both her hands, and stared at her cousin unhappily. If the man from those two spheres had been named Shuyin… It couldn't have been the man _she_ knew… Disappointment poured over her face.

Brother was frowning. "He's the one who wanted to use Vegnagun?"

"Hush up!" Rikku scolded anxiously.

But Yuna was nodding. "When he saw me there, he mistook me for someone else. A woman named Lenne. I was still wearing my Songstress Garment at the time, and it kept emanating pyreflies. Shuyin spoke about failing her. About the world fighting over nothing even after a thousand years. He wants to fix it by using Vegnagun."

"He's insane," Buddy whispered with a pale face. "Vegnagun won't fix anything."

No. Vegnagun was a weapon. Weapons were used to destroy.

_"Vegnagun will make that all go away. And we'll fade together again."_

"He's trying to destroy Spira," Yuna said, staring at the floor. She couldn't let him. "And he… He hugged me."

Rikku inhaled slightly, watching her cousin in sympathy.

"And the next thing I knew," Yuna continued. "He wasn't Shuyin anymore. He was Baralai."

"What?" Paine started, staring at the Summoner in astonishment.

"I know," she nodded. "Nooj and Gippal both showed up. Baralai left, and they followed. I found my way out through the hole beneath Bevelle's Temple by myself." That was a lie. She found her way out through _his_ guidance…

"That's crazy!" Brother was shaking his head frantically, trying to look anything but frightened. He ended up choosing denial. "None of it makes sense anyway."

"Actually, it does," Paine grudgingly admitted. "Shuyin died a thousand years ago. He's possessing Baralai. That's why New Yevon and the Youth League have been so adamant about the way to handle Vegnagun. Shuyin wants to use it."

"What about Lenne?" Buddy asked. "How does she fit into all of this?"

"Shuyin loved her," Yuna theorized.

"Well, there's that," Shinra said with a shrug. "_And_, there's the fact that she's the girl from the Songstress dressphere."

"What?" Yuna swung her head towards the boy in astonishment.

And he just shrugged again. "Sure. She wore that dress one thousand years ago." Yuna shivered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rikku demanded.

A third shrug. "No one asked. Besides, all I know is her name. What's to tell?"

"I guess it's not _that_ surprising," Yuna said softly. "So that's the connection." Shuyin had mistaken Yuna for Lenne because of the dressphere. And if Shuyin was possessing Baralai _now_, than it meant that he must have been possessing Nooj _before_. Yuna had remembered asking the Meyvn, upon returning the stolen sphere to the Youth League, for information on the man recorded in it. He _must_ have suspected _something_… that she should be interested in _him_… She wondered how long Shuyin had been watching her, and seeing Lenne instead.

"Forget Lenne!" Brother was commanding. "What are we to do about Shuyin? _He's_ the one wanting to vaporize Spira!"

"Yeah, but what can _we_ do?" Buddy asked, looking at his captain in perplexity. "Nooj and Gippal are both already down there, probably already planning something. It's _their_ friend Shuyin's got. Shouldn't we let _them_ handle it? At least for now?"

Paine blinked. Buddy was right. It was _their_ friend Shuyin held captive. It was _Baralai_! Nooj and Gippal were hoping to rescue him, and it was a cruel reminder to her that _she_ should be with them, helping them… if she could. Turning, she walked out of the cockpit, hoping to find some kind of peace in solitude.

"Paine…" Yuna was on her feet and after the sphere hunter. But she didn't get far at all before Rikku caught up with her.

"Yunie…"

There was a sorrow in the Al Bhed's voice, along with a hope, that Yuna could not ignore. She paused and looked back at her cousin as the girl pulled her away from the rest of the group's hearing range.

"What is it, Rikku?" Yuna asked gently, as the Al Bhed looked up at her beseechingly.

"Was…" Rikku hesitated, looking lost. "Was Shuyin… was… he anything like…" It hurt to say, and the girl was having trouble getting it out.

But the Summoner understood. She smiled gently and gripped Rikku's hand. "Only his face."

"Oh…" Rikku looked down. "I'm sorry, Yunie."

"I'm all right," Yuna assured her, squeezing her hand. "I'm glad that they're not alike. It makes it easier to accept."

"No," Rikku shook her head. "I'm sorry that it wasn't him."

"I know," Yuna said softly. "Me, too." Letting her go, the Summoner started after Paine once again. Rikku, however, stood in place for quite some time, completely lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Paine was standing outside on the deck of the airship in pretty much the same way. She sighed heavily as Yuna joined her.

"They gave me these," she said, offering Paine the two crimson spheres that Nooj and Gippal had both trusted with her.

Paine stared down at them grimly before accepting them indifferently and placing them on her belt. "They say anything?"

Yuna had asked. But Gippal had barely answered, and Nooj had spoken not a word in response. "No."

"I see." Paine turned away and looked towards the city of Bevelle. The Celsius had not risen away from it yet, and from their vantage point, they could see red buildings and bridges and walls stretching towards the sky. At such a distance, everything looked tranquil. It was a shame that appearances were so often deceptive.

"They're old friends," the sphere hunter suddenly told Yuna. The latter had been waiting until Paine was ready to talk about her past. It seemed like that time had finally come. Yuna nodded, and waited patiently for her to continue. "The three of them were candidates for the Crimson Squad, and I was the recorder assigned to their team."

"I remember Picket talking about it," Yuna said, referring to the Al Bhed who had driven them out to the Oasis on Bikanel Island to retrieve the Syndicate uniforms.

Paine nodded and smiled sadly. "The best were to become leaders of Crusader chapters around Spira. It was almost certain that our team would be among them."

"But?" Yuna asked gently.

"But." Paine's smile turned bitter. "The Squad was destroyed before that could happen. Most of the candidates died."

She could still hear the sound of the gunfire in the cave… and the candidates screaming in anguish. She could still _see_ it.

"The day of the final exercise was the day of Operation Mi'ihen."

Yuna flinched at the horrible memory. Two years ago, the Crusaders and the Al Bhed had met on Mushroom Rock Road to battle Sin. Sin had crushed them in a brutal massacre. Yuna… and her Guardians… had all witnessed it… except for Rikku. She hadn't been among their numbers yet.

"Maester Kinoc was our trainer," Paine continued. "Our mission was a reconnaissance one. We were to explore the Den of Woe. Investigate something inside that was extremely dangerous. Only a few had weapons. Inside the cave…" She shook her head. "I still don't understand what happened. Candidates began killing each other. I got separated from my team, and it was all I could do to stay alive… and sane."

Yuna saw her tremble. She saw the strong, independent, indifferent sphere hunter tremble. Paine's sorrow was contagious.

"When I finally caught up with them, they had their weapons raised at each other, ready to fire." Kind of like how they had had their weapons aimed to kill beneath Bevelle… "I stopped them. But even then, I thought I would die from despair. The three of them seemed to come to, as if out of a trance. And we ran. We left the cave as quickly as we could to tell Maester Kinoc what happened. That was the first time I heard Baralai ever mention Vegnagun. I was too dazed by all that had happened to pay much attention to any of that, though. I didn't know what Vegnagun was, and I didn't care. To this day, all I remember of what he said was that he just wanted to learn the truth. What knowledge he had already gained, I didn't know, and I didn't know how he had gained it. But it must have troubled Kinoc. When he told the guys that they were fully fledged members of the Crimson Squad, he ordered that they go join in the battle against Sin. They obeyed, and started off. But I… I hesitated, debating whether or not I should risk reentering the cave to reclaim the spheres I had posted in some of its alcoves. But before I could make up my mind, Kinoc had his soldiers aim their guns at my friends. They were going to kill them.

"I ran forward, screaming." Paine closed her eyes. "And they got my warning. We all fled, and Kinoc ordered we be found and killed. But with Sin there… we managed to get away. Even still, we were targets. After the massacre, we gathered together one last time… and decided that the only way for us to survive would be if we split up. It wasn't an easy choice. But it was all we had." She glanced miserably at Yuna. "We were leaving when Nooj shot us in the backs. That's the last thing I remember.

"He always did have an obsession with death," Paine shook her head. "When we were training once, in the Bikanel Desert, Nooj just dropped his gun and walked towards the fiend, as if hoping for it to kill him. It was all I could do to kill the fiend first. That was the first time I ever used a sword. After that, Baralai gave me a few lessons, so I could watch the back of 'Nooj the Undying' in the future." Her voice sounded so full of regret. "The other candidates called Nooj all _kinds_ of things. 'Deathseeker' was another of them. Nooj never minded. He just _hated_ his prosthetic limbs so much… But even after all those incidents… after watching Nooj revolve obsessively around death practically every day, I never once expected him to try killing us."

"But it wasn't him, was it?" Yuna asked gently. "It was Shuyin?"

Paine shrugged. "Maybe. The truth is, in my mind, it's been Nooj for two years. I didn't want to believe it. But I couldn't question what had happened. And what happened was that Nooj pulled his gun on us and fired. It might have been Shuyin. But it'll take my heart awhile to accept that. No matter how relieved I am by it, it doesn't take away the feelings I've had for the last two years."

"I understand," Yuna whispered.

"I became a sphere hunter to find answers," Paine stated, his gaze passing over the airship she stood on. "And I always _did_ want to fly on this thing."

"Whatcha talking about?"

Yuna and Paine both glanced behind to see Rikku walking towards them rather curiously. But then she stopped short, hesitantly. "Or is it another one of those secrets?"

When neither of the two answered right away, Rikku just pretended to shrug it off. "That's all right. I didn't wanna know anyway."

"Too bad," Paine said before the Al Bhed could turn away. "And I was just about to tell you."

Rikku's face lit up considerable. "Really?"

Paine actually smiled. It was amazing how easily she found it to be to smile again after having shared the weight of all her secrets with Yuna. She had been looking for someone to confide in for two long years. And now… she felt lighter than the lightest fall of rain. "Too late now."

Rikku stared at her in shock, unsure of whether or not the sphere hunter was joking. She had seen Paine smirk before, and make sarcastic asides… but _this_ was different.

It only took her a moment, though, to decide just to roll with it. And then she was hopping on her feet in offense. "Oui pimmo!" Bully!

Paine couldn't help it. She quietly laughed, and Yuna chuckled. Rikku stared back and forth between the two with a smile.

After a few minutes of peaceful companionship, Paine sighed. "We used to laugh a lot, once. The four of us." She turned away from Bevelle, and looked out towards what they could make of the Calm Lands in the distance. "I've been chasing my past for so long… Sometimes, getting it back is all I can think about. Other times, I just want to forget."

Rikku fell back towards Yuna, wondering what on Spira she had missed, even as the sphere hunter turned her gaze towards the Summoner as well.

"What about you? Shuyin isn't who you thought, is he?"

Yuna shook her head, thinking about her Guardian. "No."

Another soft smile crossed Paine's face. "Maybe we should both let go of our pasts, and focus more on what's to come."

Yuna quietly considered that. What _was_ to come? Civil War? Vegnagun? It wasn't a very promising future to look forward to.

Rikku frowned. "You're not gonna leave the Gullwings, are you?"

Paine shrugged. "It's always a possibility. Change comes with understanding. And I've grown to understand a lot."

"We all have," Yuna quietly agreed.

"But aren't we part of a team?" Rikku asked forlornly. Her two friends each had their own identities to build from. But all _she_ had to grow off of were the Gullwings. If Paine and Yuna let go of their pasts, they'd stop searching for spheres. And then what would be left for Rikku? Such a thought horrified her.

Paine sighed. "I may not look it. But I'm having a good time."

"Right," Rikku sighed herself in relief. "Right?"

Paine nodded.

"What about you?" the Al Bhed spun towards Yuna. "You aren't gonna quit, are you?"

Yuna considered for a moment. But then, looking from one friend to the other, she knew what her answer would be. "I don't really want to." This was where she belonged. This was where _each_ of them belonged.

**ooooooo**


	44. Brother's Great Idea

**ooooooo**

Upon returning to the cockpit, the girls found the guys clustered anxiously around Shinra's commsphere. Yuna and Paine both glanced at Rikku questioningly, but she could only shrug, equally as confused.

"What's going on?" Paine demanded, bringing Buddy and Shinra to both glance back at them in some urgency while Brother began pacing back and forth around the room, muttering under his breath to himself in Al Bhed.

Shinra wasted little time in answering. "Without its leaders, Spira's completely falling apart."

Paine and Yuna glanced at each other in worry while Rikku plopped down on her chair. "So what's the latest in commsphere news?"

"Well," Shinra shrugged. "There aren't so many fiend alerts anymore. But Beclem's been called away from Besaid Island to return to Youth League Headquarters. The Leaguers in Kilika are already looking for a new leader, and asked Dona to accept the position. But she refused, having too many of her own problems to deal with. Rin's arrived on the Mi'ihen Highroad, meaning to lead an investigation into what caused all the trouble there earlier in regard to the machina. On Mushroom Rock Road, the Leaguers have heard unconfirmed reports that Bevelle raiders are going to strike, hoping to catch their leaderless numbers by surprise. So the Leaguers _there_ are planning a preemptive one of their own against the city first."

"What?" Yuna asked in astonishment.

Rikku jumped to her feet in offense. "That's _dumb_!"

Shinra shrugged again. "That's just the way it goes." Civil War really _was_ brewing, then.

"Apparently," Buddy added. "Maroda's been sent to Bevelle to confirm those rumors. But he's behaving more like a spy than anything else."

"This is terrible," Rikku sighed unhappily. "Everyone's fighting…"

"That's what comes of relying on one's leaders too much," Buddy pointed out sensibly. "When the leaders all go AWOL, the followers get scared and worried. They're left disorganized and confused."

"Tension between the two groups is getting volatile," Shinra observed. "It won't be long before things get very ugly."

Yuna bit her lip. What could be done when war seemed so inevitable?

Paine's arms were crossed, and she shook her head. "It doesn't help that Vegnagun's on the loose. You can bet Shuyin's controlling _that_ thing."

Buddy let out an exasperated breath. "No kidding."

Rikku sat down, pitched slightly forward, and held her head in her hands. She always did so whenever she thought both too hard and too urgently. Two years ago, she had spent an awful lot of time in that position. "Ooh… I _hope_ Gippal's gonna find a way to destroy that thing!" No one answered, and she looked up miserably. "Nothing makes sense anymore! I mean… Just _what_ the heck are _we_ supposed to do?"

It was an impossible question to answer. What _could_ they do in such a situation? They knew they had to do _something_… There was no way in Sin that they would just stand back and watch as Spira went to war.

Yuna shook her head ever so slightly. "Nooj spoke to me on the Farplane. He told me to take care of things topside. As if it were the simplest thing to do."

Ever since she had become a Gullwing, she had been trying to outweigh her old life with her new. She had been trying to move on from her role as a Summoner. And she had been terribly hurt and confused whenever she found that she just _couldn't_.

Maybe… it was time for her to carry that mantle again without any reservations. Perhaps it was time to make the choice that would allow her to _live_ _with_ her past… instead of forcing her to either ignore it or return to it.

Yes. It was time. Time to stop being the mere Lady Summoner she had been two years ago, and start being the High Summoner she was supposed to be today.

"I changed my mind."

Everyone started, and looked at her in bewilderment.

She nodded her head firmly. "I _want_ to do something. Nooj asked me to help. That's what I'll do." If Spira was looking for a leader… she was willing to be the one.

A large grin broke out over Brother's face. "Oac, drec ec dra Yuna dryd E ghuf!" Yes, this is the Yuna that I know!

Rikku was frowning uncertainly. "Are you sure, Yunie?" The Summoner nodded.

Brother excitedly bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. "Alrighty! Let's smash that action figure! We'll risk our lives and protect Spira from Vegnagun!"

"Ah…" Rikku stared at her brother in some concern, but then shook her head and ignored his rather uncomforting remark.

Yuna smiled and shook her head as well. "No. I think… there has to be something we can do other than fight."

Brother stopped short and stared at her in bewilderment. "Like what?"

"With its leaders gone, Spira's falling apart," Yuna rephrased what Shinra had already said. "We should find a way to bring people back together again."

"Great idea, Yunie," Rikku nodded her head favorably. "But… how do we do that?"

There was a pause in which no one spoke. Because, honestly, Yuna hadn't thought _that_ far ahead.

After awhile, Paine just smirked and rolled her eyes. "Why not sing campfire songs?" _That_ would prove about as effective as anything else any of _them_ could think up.

Or so she had thought.

Brother's eyes opened extremely wide. "Ooooooh!" He was bouncing on his feet again, only a _lot_ more excited. He waved both of his arms exuberantly in the air. "That's it! That's it!"

"What's it?" Buddy asked in slight concern at his friend's sudden case of dancing.

It took the captain awhile to finally manage spitting out his thought. "All of Spira will be the captive of Yuna's singing and dancing!"

There was another quiet pause.

And then much excitement.

Of course. It was a great idea! For _once _in his life, Brother had _actually _proven useful! And for the first time in as long as Rikku could remember, she could honestly say that she was appreciative of him.

Leblanc had already proven to them that Yuna could indeed capture an audience when on stage. Her concert in Luca had been an absolute success. There was no doubt that the _real_ Yuna could pull one off as well… and ten _times_ more effectively than the fraud.

"I can handle the techie stuff," Shinra was already offering.

"Great!" Rikku was hopping up and down in the same exact way as her brother. "Oh! I know! I know! We can recruit Tobli! He'd organize it for us in a heartbeat!"

All this time, Yuna had been too astonished to speak. Now, however, she was slowly regaining her voice. "H-hold on!" No one listened to her. They were _much _too busy planning. Suddenly, the Summoner realized that this whole concert idea was not a joke. It was an honest to Yevon real idea in their heads. Nothing would deter them from it now. She felt her stomach grow icy cold.

"Where is the little guy anyway?" Buddy was asking.

"More than likely in the Moonflow," Paine replied. "He's already in the middle a show, isn't he?"

"No," Shinra shook his head, tapping his commsphere. "Got postponed. Tobli sold enough tickets, but couldn't find any real highlight."

"Well, he'll definitely have one now," Buddy said energetically. "Gullwings…"

"Move out!" Brother commanded, rushing towards the pilot's chair to lift the Celsius once more into the sky.

Yuna stood there, stunned, wondering what in the name of Yevon had just happened right there. She had agreed to be a _leader_ for Spira. When had she said _anything_ about _singing_ to Spira? She wasn't a Songstress! They couldn't volunteer her into that! No way!

But somehow… Yuna numbly realized they already had.

**ooooooo**

A shoopuf was crossing the marsh when the Celsius landed in the Moonflow. It was an enormous creature of thick gray skin, a huge tail, and a long trunk of a neck. Driven by hypellos, the creatures were harmless, gentle, and intelligent, happily bearing weary travelers from one end of the marshlands to the other.

Yuna stood still for a few moments after climbing out of the airship with Rikku and Paine. She stood still and watched it, content with her memories.

According to Sir Auron, twelve years ago, Sir Jecht – her own Guardian's father – had resolved to quit drinking because of a shoopuf. Apparently, he had been drunk, and had mistaken the poor creature for a fiend. And once… when Yuna had been a little girl… she had fallen off the back of a shoopuf and landed in the water. The gentle creature, however, had scooped her up into its trunk and placed her calmly back in the carriage shoopufs bore instead of saddles. She had been so exhilarated by it, that she had jumped into the water several more times just so that the shoopuf could scoop her up again and again.

Yuna loved the Moonflow. It was a beautiful region. And it spoke of happy times.

Presently, Tobli was standing with two hypellos at the wharf, waiting for the hypello that guided the shoopuf to pull in. But when the little fellow saw the Gullwings, he started towards them courteously, abandoning his own friends.

"Hi! Hi!" He waved his two penguin arms. "What can I do for you? What brings you here?"

"Well," Rikku was grinning like an overeager child. "We wanted to apologize for your last show." Tobli looked somewhat put off by her words. But her smile just kept brightening. "_And_, we want to compensate by offering you the talent of our very own High Summoner!" She gestured towards Yuna. "She wants to hold a concert! For the benefit of Spira's unity!"

_That_ was putting a stretch of the truth, Yuna thought numbly, nevertheless managing to put on a cheery smile and nod her head in confirmation.

Tobli's entire countenance lifted up. He stared at the three women in absolute astonishment. And then he began trembling in excitement. "Spectacularly spectacular! 'Twill be a yummy Yunapalooza indeed!"

Paine's mouth opened slightly in amusement, and she glanced over at the white-faced Summoner with a grin.

Tobli wasn't finished, either. "'Twill go down in history! I most definitely, definitely want to arrange it! Can I? Can I?"

Rikku nodded. "Yup-yup!" Needless to say, Tobli was thrilled. Already, he was practically running around in circles, moving from hypello to hypello in order to spread the news. The Gullwings smiled as they watched him go.

But then he hesitated, and returned to them uncertainly. "A minor detail… Where, oh, where should it be held?"

It was the Gullwings' turn to hesitate. They hadn't been thinking _that_ far ahead yet, either. For a moment, they just glanced at each other at a loss.

"Well," Yuna said slowly. "The more people we can gather together, the better."

Tobli nodded considerately. And then he perked right back up. "Aha! Then how about the Thunder Plains?" Yuna hesitated, but Tobli liked the idea. "Yes! You could practically pack a _plethora_ of people in that place!"

Yuna wasn't so sure… the lightning…

Rikku didn't seem to mind in the least. She nodded conspiratorially. "Now. How do we get people to come?"

"Simple, simple!" Tobli waved a wing at that. "My power PR team _always_ does my advertising. There's at least one hypello in every region for that purpose alone! They'll get the word out!"

"I hope so," Rikku said, crossing her arms. "We don't want _anyone_ in Spira missing this!"

"And none shall!" Tobli assured her. "Now! We must plan a date for the concert! When shall it be?"

"Soon," Paine cut in sharply. "As in, we should have done this yesterday." The sooner they united Spira, after all, the better.

"Then I shall set to my task at once!" Tobli promised. "If we can recruit the Celsius as a ferry, we can get you an audience in the Thunder Plains by tomorrow afternoon!"

Rikku snapped her fingers. "Done!" And the matter was settled.

**ooooooo**

Everyone was busy. There was a concert to be held the following afternoon, and by far too much work that needed accomplishing beforehand. Unfortunately for Yuna, as the star of the show, no one would even _think_ about tiring her out with chores before the big performance. She needed to be 'well rested' and 'healthy enough' to sing when the hour came at last.

Even Paine, whom Yuna expected babying from the least, wouldn't hear of her lifting a finger to help with the concert's preparations. She needed to sit down, relax, and write some lyrics. After all, what was a concert without music?

_That_ was the one thing Yuna would be allowed to do in the next several hours. That and sleep. It wasn't very exciting at all.

Ordinarily, Yuna assumed that coming up with music might be in itself a stressful activity. Especially considering she had no experience in that field whatsoever. The problem was… she just couldn't sit still. And she _definitely_ couldn't concentrate.

Whenever she tried focusing on _any_ kind of music, she instead found herself focusing on her Guardian. That happened to her sometimes. She would find herself completely overcome by memories of him.

And not bad memories, either. Good ones. From the time _before_ Rikku had informed him that Yuna was destined to die.

Memories of him playing Blitzball. Of him screaming out loud in frustration. Of him mimicking Maester Mika just to get a laugh out of her.

Of him whistling…

In times like that, she would find herself staring into nothing, with a content little smile on her face. In times like that… she felt more grateful than anything else. Grateful just for the time that they had been allowed together.

And grateful that he wasn't _completely_ gone. Her memories of him were still strong. And she _truly_ believed that a part of him _had_ been there in the darkness between the Farplane and Bevelle. She _truly_ believed that without him… she would have been lost. He still existed somewhere.

And at the concert the following day, Yuna _knew_ she would be singing for him. She would sing for him, even as she would sing for Spira. With _that_ much inspiration, Yuna believed that whatever lyrics she might need would come to her.

Songs were shaped out of love. Love for a home… love for a man… Something inside Yuna told her that. Or rather… some_one_…

Lenne. She had been a Songstress. Shinra had confirmed _that_ much. Lenne had been the original owner of the blue black dress in Yuna's Garment Grid. She had created music every day of her life. She had created music out of love. For her home and for her lover. She and Yuna had that much in common.

And so, having nothing else to do, Yuna made her way up to the deck of the airship, where Shinra was working away faster than a speedy little ant.

"What are you up to?" she asked as he set up various pieces of machina around the outside of the ship.

He barely paused to look at her before he was at work again. So much to get built, so little time to build. "A project. I'm engineering a giant sphere screen for the stage. That way, even people in the _way_ back will be able to see you."

Yuna stared at the screen in question. It was, indeed, very large. She couldn't imagine there being an actual image of _her_ up on it. "Your invention?"

She could picture him grinning underneath his large mask. "Oh yeah." But then he _really_ got back to work again, and wouldn't spare another moment conversing with the Summoner.

So she sighed and headed back down to the ship's cockpit. For once, it was actually abandoned. Everyone was just too busy to stand around not doing anything. Everyone, that was, except for Yuna.

She sighed, bored, and walked over to the commsphere. It was a small, glowing silver orb that was hooked up to a rectangular screen in the wall. Yuna activated it.

She found herself staring at a list of choices. Already there were commspheres in practically _every _region in Spira. Including Besaid. Yuna wondered if she might be able to speak with Lulu.

Selecting the island's name on the screen, she waited as the commsphere connected to its other end. Within moments, an image of the island appeared on the screen. And Yuna felt a small pang of homesickness.

"Someone calling?" A second later, Beclem himself appeared. He made a slight face when he saw Yuna. "Oh. It's you."

"Nice to see you, too, Beclem," she said, trying to stifle a sigh. So much for speaking with Lulu… "I heard you were returning to Mushroom Rock Road."

"Yes," Beclem nodded. "I will be, soon. It _is_ a shame, though." He glanced down, and then looked over the commsphere to gaze at the scenery around it. Yuna was suddenly given the impression that, despite _everything_, Beclem was fond of the island. "You know. Having to leave Besaid in the hands of such slackers."

"Besaid will be fine," she found herself trying to comfort him. "Wakka's there to keep an eye on things."

"Hmph," Beclem shook his head in disgust. "Small consolation. If you ask me, his brother was ten _times_ the man Wakka is."

Yuna started at that. And then she stared at the image before her in incredulity. "You knew Chappu?"

Beclem nodded, unable to meet the gaze even of an _image_ of Yuna. "We fought as Crusaders together." His expression changed then. Softened. And Yuna suddenly saw the man as she _knew_ Lulu must. He wasn't all that different from the rest of them. He mourned the loss of loved ones… he resented Yevon for its part in the spiral of death… and he was struggling to find his place in such a changing world. But what _was_ different about Beclem was… that he was going through it all alone.

"He always talked about Wakka," he told her now. "Said, 'My brother's the greatest person in Spira!'" He scoffed and shook his head. "Imagine my surprise to find the legendary Wakka's nothing more than a…" He shook his head again, trailing off. And then he sighed. "There are so many things I wanted to talk to Wakka about… But not anymore."

"What kind of things?" Yuna asked gently.

He looked at her and just shrugged. "Memories. But that's enough chit-chat. I need to get ready to leave." Without even a goodbye, he turned and abandoned the commsphere, leaving Yuna alone with a blank image of Besaid.

**ooooooo**


	45. A Thousand Words

**ooooooo**

Night came and went, passing quicker than Yuna had ever imagined possible. Word of the concert had spread like wildfire, and already the Celsius was flying around Spira, picking up families of all sizes in order to carry and deposit them in the Thunder Plains. There was no doubt about it now. The concert was going to be a hit.

The engine room was the one place in the airship that was off limits to the denizens of Spira. Thus making it the one place where Yuna could go to escape the devotion of the multitudes. She was there now, enjoying the solitude for a change, when Rikku walked in.

"You have no idea how thankful I am that Paine had the sense not to allow more than one political party on the ship at a time," she offhandedly informed the Summoner. "But even still, I wish there were _some_ Youth Leaguers on board right now to get the Yevonites out of my skin."

"Hopefully by this evening we won't have to worry about that anymore," Yuna replied, getting to her feet.

"Yeah, I know," Rikku agreed. "Spira'll be united again. I'm looking forward to it."

"Still," Yuna looked down uncertainly. "It's a big step to take in just a few hours' time."

"If anyone can pull it off," the Al Bhed told her comfortingly. "It's gonna be you, Yunie. I just know it."

Yuna nodded and quickly changed the subject. "What's the weather like outside? I haven't been out at all yet today."

"Gorgeous," Rikku promised. "But then again… we _are_ gonna be at the Thunder Plains. The sun never shines through there."

The eternal lightning shower. It was night every hour of the day in those plains. "I guess that's only to be expected."

"Right." Rikku nodded. And then she looked at her cousin with a roguish grin. "Alright, Yunie. It's time for you to change!"

Yuna started and looked at her in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"You don't expect to stand out there in your normal outfit, do you?" Rikku asked, crossing her arms. "You need to wear something nice. Something formal. _And,_ you need to rehearse. Paine says she hasn't seen you prepare at all! What are you gonna be singing, Yunie? I wanna hear it!"

"Oh…" Yuna looked down. She hadn't thought about changing garments once. But then… Lenne _was_ a Songstress. Maybe she could offer more help to the Summoner than mere inspiration after all. Gracefully, the woman touched the sphere on her belt, and in a swirl of shining purple ribbons, she transformed into the brown boots, black miniskirt, and blue top with its white lacey trim that made up her Songstress Garment.

Rikku nodded her approval. "Now. Tobli's musicians have agreed to provide the music, but they need _something_ to work with! Like _sheet music_! Let me hear what you've got, and I'll help you get it down on paper!"

"Um…" Yuna hesitated, but only for a moment. For then a flood of emotions swept through her from her very core, pouring out in her voice with the most musical, lyrical of notes either of the two had ever heard before in their lives.

Rikku's mouth fell open in astonishment. And once Yuna could close her own, she bounced forward in delight. "Wow! Did you write that?"

Yuna considered, but shook her head. She hadn't written anything, and to say otherwise would be a lie. "It's more like I'm feeling it." Even as she spoke, she could hear the music echoing around her. It was beautiful enough to bring tears to her eyes… but they were not shed. She smiled, somewhat embarrassed.

"Lenne?" Rikku guessed, much to her cousin's relief.

"I think so," she nodded. "I don't know much about her. But from the bits and pieces that I have of her, I feel like… we _do_ have things in common. And whenever I wear this dress… and even sometimes when I'm not wearing it… it's like I can feel what she was feeling."

A romantic smile crossed Rikku's lips. "Thus shall Lenne's scattered thoughts be woven into bittersweet song! Something like that?

Yuna tilted her head, feeling incredibly happy. "That was poetic."

Rikku giggled before holding up the paper she had brought into the engine room with her. "Okay. Let's get it written for our musicians!" Yuna nodded, and they set to the task as quickly as they possibly could.

**ooooooo**

The Celsius made its final run over Spira, picking up the last few stragglers waiting to be taken to the Thunder Plains. When they finally touched down on the ground for the last time, however, it took quite awhile to get the people outside. For going outside had lost its appeal.

The Thunder Plains were jam packed with members of both the Youth League _and_ New Yevon waiting impatiently for the start of the concert. The tension was insurmountable, hostile, and _very_ close to growing violent. From where Yuna and Rikku were in the engine room, they could see none of it, but they suspected its presence, and even _before_ they had finished getting the music ready, apprehension made them grow somewhat distracted.

And once the music finally _had_ been compiled and taken away, Yuna could not sit still for worry. Instead, she paced back and forth around large pieces of machina in a piteous attempt to calm her nerves. Rikku watched her sympathetically.

"It's gonna be okay," the Al Bhed promised her.

But Yuna just shook her head. "It was easier being labeled a traitor. Somehow, when no one looks to you to solve everything, the pressure isn't so much."

"And it's not so ironic when you _do_ solve everything," Rikku quipped. The joke didn't help.

But Rikku didn't know, and Yuna barely understood… she wasn't just dealing with her _own_ apprehension. Its weight was doubled from the nerves of yet another spirit within her. A spirit that had once faced a similar task… and was now finding in Yuna a second chance. And too often, second chances were terrifying.

At that moment, Paine stuck her head in. "It's almost time. We should head up towards the deck."

Yuna looked at the sphere hunter nervously. "How is it out there?"

Paine looked reluctant to answer, but making light of the situation would do no good to anyone. "The sooner this thing's over with, the better it'll be. The two groups have been bumping heads since last night. They're itching to start something."

Rikku made a face and crossed her arms. "Of course they are. Bunch of jerks."

Yuna sighed. "Don't they ever stop?" Her nerves were steadily building into all out fear. Desperation. Her desire to solve Spira's differences in one afternoon was beginning to suffocate her. She didn't know if she could go through with it.

"Are you going to be okay?" Paine asked. Yuna honestly couldn't say. How was it even _possible_ that the High Summoner who defeated Sin could even _get_ stage fright?

_Concentrate on your Guardian…_ she told herself._ You did that all yesterday. Just do it again…_

And she did.

"_You know," he had told her quietly. "During a game, you have to think of Blitz and nothing else… The minute you do, that's when you lose. You see, uh, Yuna, what I mean is, you really shouldn't worry, you know? After we beat Sin, that's when you can worry about the future."_

Now, if she could just apply that same advice to performing a concert… she'd be okay. If _he_ could play Blitzball… _she_ could sing. Somehow, she just knew it. All she needed was faith.

She nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then let's go," Paine suggested, and the three of them made their way to the lift that would carry them up to the Celsius's deck. _That_ was the stage on which Yuna would be performing to the people of Spira.

They paused one last time when they reached the lift. Silently, Yuna kept repeating her Guardian's words over and over again in her mind. Concentrate on performing. Worry about nothing else.

Paine glanced at her. "Brother, Buddy, Tobli, Shinra… _everyone_ is outside trying to keep the peace. The musicians are already up there ready to play. We're all waiting for you, Yuna."

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Rikku smiled. "Well, Yuna? You're the one who wanted to do something."

Paine crossed her arms in agreement. "So let's do something."

"Then it's time," Yuna whispered. She glanced quickly between the two. "Y."

Rikku's smile broadened. "R!"

Paine rolled her eyes. "P."

They stood in a tiny triangle, and touched hands in the center.

Yuna was satisfied. "Let's go."

**ooooooo**

Even though it was only the middle of the afternoon, in the Thunder Plains, the sky was completely dark as lightning periodically swept through the air. There were a few soft rumbles of thunder, but they went pretty much ignored by the multitude.

There literally must have been thousands of people there. They had all come, despite conflicts in interest, just to see Yuna. She was without a doubt the most loved and famous woman in Spira. She had, after all, brought to them the Eternal Calm.

The screen Shinra had set up on the deck of the Celsius had been lifted high up and was already illuminating a bright, silvery glow. As soon as Yuna stepped outside and walked towards the edge of the ship, her face appeared on it, and could be seen even in the area's most distant corners.

Gripping a microphone tightly in her hand, as if hoping that it alone could lessen her nerves, she gazed out over the crowd. She honestly had not expected so many. But they were there, and they were watching her devotedly. Behind her, the musicians were waiting for her signal, while Rikku and Paine's continued presence offered her support.

And now… it was time for her to give what she had summoned so many people here to receive. A plea for peace.

The spotlight was on her now. She lifted up her microphone and began to speak. "One thousand years ago, before the time of Sin… Spira was torn in two, divided by a terrible war." The Machina War. They had all heard of it before. Zanarkand against Bevelle… The ultimate origin of Sin. Yuna closed her eyes for a single moment over a short pause. And then… her heart began to speak again. "This was Spira's great mistake. Out of the rift left by this terrible conflict, Sin was born. In only two short years, Spira has shaken off its unhappy past. We have moved on. Now, Spira grows brighter with each passing day." She lifted her head and smiled at such a hopeful thought. "That light is our strength. I don't want to see it fade." She looked down towards her audience. "Do you?"

Already she had made her point. They glanced from her towards each other in guilt and shame, unable to say a thing. But Yuna wasn't finished.

"There are so many of us," she conceded. "Each with different ideas and different beliefs. Of _course_ we sometimes disagree, and arguments _will_ happen. But our _hearts_ can and _should_ always be one."

Something happened then… Yuna couldn't explain it. But something within her rose up out of the depths of a saddened heart, and made her body warm. Her skin tingled, and when she opened her mouth again, she herself was speaking in a dual voice.

It didn't scare her one bit. The second voice was merely an echo of her own, and though it astonished everyone in the crowd, and _especially_ Rikku and Paine, it was more captivating than anything else.

"Believe with me," the two voices said at once. "Even if we're torn apart, our feelings will unite us. That's what this song is about."

Subtly, she glanced at the musicians behind her and nodded to them. As a few more quiet claps of thunder echoed around the plains, Yuna stood enchantingly before her audience while the first few chords flowed out of the loveliest instruments in Spira. She lifted up her hands and began to sing.

"_I know that you're hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me. Your words were like a dream… But dreams could never fool me. Not that easily."_

A silver stream of light flowed out of the screen Shinra had placed up for the audience's benefit. That stream cut a pathway over the Thunder Plains, before sparkles of light danced towards the earth. Springing up from that glittering light came the remarkable image of a city. Everyone in the audience was standing within it, staring around themselves at the streets and buildings in all-out wonder.

Some of them recognized the city from spheres they had seen of it. Yuna and Rikku were among them. This city was Zanarkand. Zanarkand… in all its once glory.

Yuna continued to sing.

"_I acted so distant then. Didn't say goodbye before you left. But I was listening. You'll fight your battles far from me. Far too easily."_

She paused, standing in the midst of Zanarkand, as the music swept around her. And then continued.

"'_Save your tears, 'cause I'll come back.' I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door. But still I swore to hide the pain when I turned back the pages."_

Her dress was glowing silver. Pyreflies flooded out of it, adding an enchanting crystal sound to the music as they floated towards the sky. Then, they turned into a great golden sphere that slowly spread itself out into a golden ring of light. Rikku and Paine both stared up at it in astonishment – and then in fear as they grew able to make out Vegnagun itself within the center of that ring, high up above them.

"_Shouting might have been the answer. What if I cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?"_

The image focused at the top of the terrifying machina… At the top of Vegnagun's head. Someone was up there, standing in a little bowl-shaped hollow that had been carved on top of the monster's cranium. And as Yuna sang, he slowly turned, his figure strangely familiar to both her and Rikku. Somewhat gradually, he drew towards the edge of that hollow, as if he could hear the Summoner's voice himself, and was coming to see her.

"_But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart!" _This last line brought Yuna to change utterly and completely into a different woman, under the thin glow of infinite, glimmering, silver stars.

Now she was someone else. Though she still wore the Songstress Garment, she was not Yuna. Her face was more angular, and her hair was darker, flowing down to her waist in straight, silken strands, with only a single short one as an exception that graced her left eye. Both of her eyes were brown. Brown. Deep. And tragic.

This was not Yuna. It could only have been Lenne.

"_Cause a thousand words called out through the ages!"_

Several multiple slivers of light – purple, blue, green, pink, and white – shot up around the ring in the sky. And as they fell back down again, Vegnagun's cannon grew painfully visible.

"_They'll fly to you!"_

A second image of Lenne appeared standing on the small, circular dais at the foot of the monstrous machina. She outstretched her arms in the same way Yuna had when confronting Bahamut in Bevelle. And she wore the same look of despair.

Meanwhile, the man up on top of Vegnagun glanced over the hollow's thick rim and peered down at her in extreme concern.

"_Even though I can't see, I know they're reaching you!"_

Footsteps could be heard racing towards the image of Lenne. Frightened, she lowered her arms and turned to look back in their direction.

"_Suspended on silver wings! Oh, a thousand words-"_

The man was suddenly in front of Lenne, and their bodies pressed together in a tight embrace.

"_-A thousand embraces-"_

Two harsh white spotlights burst to life, cornering Lenne and Shuyin within their glare.

Not too far away, the approaching footsteps grew louder and more ominous. Soldiers were on the run. Enemies to the two lovers.

"_-Will cradle you-"_

Shuyin looked up towards the now visible soldiers in pure anger. The hate dripped clearly from his eyes as Lenne just leaned against him sadly.

"_Making all of your weary days seem far away! They'll hold you forever!"_

The singing paused, and the music took its solo.

As the handful of soldiers menacingly aimed their rifles, Shuyin and Lenne's gazes swept over each other. Lenne's eyes were bright with tears, while Shuyin's were soft with regret. For all the loathing he felt for the soldiers that cornered them, he only felt the deepest, _deepest_ love for her.

And she knew that too. As she gazed into his eyes, holding back her tears, she smiled sadly.

The guns fired in two thunderous rounds.

White light burst around the two, as thousands upon thousands of glyphs came to life in a bright, silvery blaze all around Vegnagun.

The scene changed, and Shuyin was standing in a reddish glow, slowly turning around. For Lenne was there behind him, standing in a white glow, with clouds visible behind her. She smiled happily.

And then, with another instant flash, they were back in each other's arms beneath Vegnagun, as several bullets shot ruthlessly in their direction.

The impact pushed them apart and sent them sprawling to the ground. Shuyin landed facedown… while Lenne landed on her back.

"_Oh, a thousand words,"_ the image of Lenne picked her song back up as Yuna appeared behind her.

"_A thousand words," _the Summoner echoed as the two of them each gracefully turned so the audience could see them both.

Meanwhile, Shuyin was still lying on the floor, his face turned towards Lenne. He so clearly wanted to reach his arm out towards her… but he could barely move at all. The despair in his eyes seemed incapable of _ever_ finding relief.

Lenne, gazing back at him, expressed only love in hers, as a single, silver tear slipped to the floor, sparkling in the light.

"_Have never been spoken,"_ Lenne sang with an arm reaching out desperately towards the people of Spira.

"_Ooh, yeah,"_ Yuna continued to back the Songstress up.

"_They'll fly to you. They'll carry you home."_

"_Carry you home,"_ the Summoner echoed.

"_And back into my arms…"_ Here, their voices blended together into one truly harmonic sound.

"_Suspended on silver wings-" _Yuna continued.

"_On silver wings!"_ Lenne's voice rose up into a burst of grievous emotion.

"_And a thousand words,"_ the Summoner took the lead.

"_Ooh!"_

"_Called out through the ages."_

"_Called through the ages."_

"_They'll cradle you…"_

"_Ooh, yeah."_

"_Making all of the lonely years to only days!"_

"_Holy days."_

"_They'll hold you forever!"_ Yuna's last syllable rang out as everything else, for a single moment, grew silent. Behind her, Lenne's image grew radiant, and then it faded, disappearing inside her once again.

And as for the images that even now surrounded them… they, too, ebbed into nothing, lingering only in the memories of each and every person standing in the Thunder Plains that day. They continued watching, some of them shaking their heads in horror, some of them crying, but not a single one of them untouched in some way or other.

The clouds in the sky began to clear. Rikku, who _had_ been looking down in sorrow, felt it first, and looked up in time to see the clouds breaking away. Rays of sunlight gently cut through, washing the plains with an impossible illumination. She stared up at the sky in wonder.

Paine looked up, too, as did everyone but Yuna. The sun _never_ cast its light in the Thunder Plains, for the storm was eternal. But here… everyone was bathed in a beautiful, brilliant warmth.

Yuna had said that with each passing day, Spira grew brighter. Here was the evidence to back up those eloquent words.

Tears formed in her eyes as she sang her last. _"Ohhhh… a thousand words…"_

Everything was still as Yuna looked down. Looking back up, a tear was sliding down her face. And then… she lifted her chin up, soaking in the light. More tears fell, until she was falling too, collapsing down onto her hands and knees.

All she could think about was her dream. Her nightmare. And how, for Lenne and Shuyin, it hadn't been a nightmare. It had been a reality. She could do naught now but shake her head in sorrow, while wondering… _why?_

Paine and Rikku both scrambled towards her in concern. And while the Al Bhed knelt down beside her, Paine towered above them, willingly ready to protect and shield them both… against what, she didn't know.

"Yunie…" Rikku searched for her gaze, but Yuna could not lift it. Her tears turned into sobs, and she wept for all the world to see.

**ooooooo**


	46. One Thousand Memories

**ooooooo**

The concert was over. Only an hour had passed since Yuna's first and final song, and no one expected an encore. She was done.

Presently, she was inside the Celsius, sitting on her bed in the cabin's loft with Paine beside her, comforting her as best as she could. The hour that had passed since her exit from the stage had been long and tiresome to all of them, and only now were emotions beginning to grow calm again.

No one could believe what had happened. Most of that audience _had_ assumed that the entire spectacle had been nothing more than ingenious special effects put together by Shinra to enhance the Summoner's performance. But after appraising the boy, Brother, and Buddy for a job well done, some of the other Al Bhed realized that none of it had been planned whatsoever. Rumors spread, and before long, most of the audience was aware that the entire phenomenon had sprung on them purely by chance. And that, in their minds at least, only heightened the emotional, heartrending affect of such a concert blended by such tragedy. It was a reminder, and a warning, and a sign, all at once, sent from above, to listen to the Summoner, and take heed of her words and lyrics. No one would be forgetting that day any time soon.

Especially Yuna. Having retreated to her loft – still decked in the Songstress garment – Lenne's emotions continued to intermingle with her own – even if they no longer projected themselves out for all to see.

Yuna had not wept like that in a long time. Even after facing Valefor, her tears had been nothing like this.

She was crying for their murder. _How could those soldiers just fire their guns like that? How could they just stand there and shoot?_ Yuna understood that there were people in Spira who were capable of killing in cold blood. But so many at once?

She was crying for Lenne. _She didn't get a chance… She wasn't even allowed the chance to tell him…_

And she was crying for herself. _I just want to be with you…_

_Why were we given the ability to love…_

"Yuna?"

_…if love always leaves us in such loneliness and misery?_

"It's okay," she lied, wiping the few remaining tears in her eyes away. "I'm all right." Paine watched her skeptically, and she forced herself to offer a sad smile. "I'm fine, really. It's passed now."

But Paine knew better. Paine knew that, for Yuna, it would _never_ pass.

_Is it better not to love at all?_

Rikku arrived, climbing up the ladder uncomfortably into the loft. Both Yuna and Paine glanced at her inquisitively.

"What did Shinra say?" the sphere hunter asked as the Al Bhed sat down on Yuna's other side.

"Umm," Rikku turned towards her cousin with a small shrug. "He said it _might_ have been some kind of, uh, interference with the sphere waves. You know that big sphere screen he built so that everyone could see you, even in the back?" Yuna nodded and the girl shrugged again. "He thinks it might have reacted with your dressphere. Uh, the consciousness burned into the dressphere was projected out of the screen! Or… something like that…"

Oh. So it _was_ Shinra's doing.

Paine stared at her. "Okay, but that doesn't explain _why_ it happened."

Rikku once again shrugged her shoulders, growing slightly defensive. "I know, I know! But when I asked him, he only looked at me and said: 'I'm just a kid!'" She pouted and hugged her arms around herself.

"It was Lenne," Yuna said quietly, finally touching her dresspheres. With a burst of light, her garments transformed back into their regular ones, and she immediately felt lighter, now that Lenne's feelings were somewhat repressed. But even still, she remained seated there, unnaturally somber. "I was singing her feelings. I could feel them welling up inside. They've _been_ welling up inside me now for days. They finally… found a way to come pouring out."

Paine looked away thoughtfully. "So _that_ was Lenne and Shuyin…"

"Yes." Yuna closed her eyes. "That was Lenne and Shuyin."

**ooooooo**

Paine was no longer in the loft. She had left to go further interrogate Shinra. Presently, Yuna and Rikku were each lying on their own beds, looking up the ceiling thoughtfully.

Lenne was so elegant, Rikku reflected to herself, blinking. Regal. Like a queen or something. And Shuyin… he had looked, at once, so full of love, regret, and… hate. He _had_ looked at those soldiers in hate. Rikku had seen that same look before, once. On Yunie's wedding day.

It angered her, that Shuyin should so closely resemble Yunie's Guardian. It wasn't fair! Rikku had been hoping so much for so long that they would find _him_. And that _he_ and Yunie could live happily ever after. It was what the Summoner deserved. It was all the Rikku wanted for her. Though… a part of the Al Bhed couldn't deny that she wanted it to be _him_, because she missed having him around herself. He had been such a good friend. One of Rikku's best.

So many things would be better with him around. The Gullwings, for one. With her, Yunie, Paine, Brother, Buddy, and Shinra, if you throw _him_ into the mix, what do you got left? And he _was_ the expert with troublesome fathers! With him around, Rikku knew he'd help her work things out with Cid. But what was quite possibly the most important thing of all was that… _he_ could help her figure out what to do about Gippal.

Since Yunie had joined the Gullwings, she hadn't been the only one to get her hopes up about finding the Guardian.

And now those hopes were all crashing down.

Why did it have to be Shuyin? She slammed her fists down against her mattress in frustration.

And she did so in time for Paine, who was now returning up the ladder, to notice. The sphere hunter frowned as Yuna sat up. "You okay?"

Rikku dismally got onto her feet. "Ask again later. What's up?"

The sphere hunter glanced over to the Summoner. "You've got a guest."

**ooooooo**

The old scholar, Maechen, was standing in corridor outside the Celsius's cabin when Paine led Yuna and Rikku out to see him. When he saw the Summoner, a bright smile lit his lips, and he shook her hand devotedly.

"I wanted to be the first to tell you," he told her in his wizened old voice. "'Twas a magnificent melody, Lady Yuna. The onlookers were all quite enchanted." She bowed her head in thanks.

"If it brings Spira together – even a little – then I'm glad," she told him. And that was the truth. Despite everything, she still managed to feel some hope. Hope that, after such tragedy, Spira could finally see its need to unite.

"Indeed, I believe it shall," Maechen assured her warmly. "As you sang, not a soul could help but realize the folly of their tiresome squabbling. Fists once raised in anger became welcoming hands offering solace to tearful neighbors." Yuna smiled appreciatively, and Maechen sighed. "I must admit that I, too, shed my share of tears the moment Lenne appeared."

Everyone started. Yuna, Rikku, Paine. All of them. And they stared at Maechen in absolute astonishment.

Rikku shook her head. "You know about Lenne?"

"Of course. I…" Maechen frowned, glancing towards the wall and mumbling under his breath, looking more than just a little confused. Disoriented. As old men sometimes grew due to age. And then he looked at Yuna. "Would you like to hear-?"

"Yes!" she said quickly, jumping at the opportunity. "Please tell us."

Maechen smiled. "Well then. Where to begin? About a thousand years ago, Lenne was a popular Songstress in Zanarkand. The talk of the town, you might say. In a more peaceful age, she might have lived out her years as a performer." For a moment, Maechen paused, as if lost in happy memories. And then he sighed again, in dejection. "But the times – and her talents – did not allow such a thing to be. You see, Lenne's gift for singing was matched by her genius in the Summoner's arts."

Lenne had been a Summoner. It was yet another thing she and Yuna had in common.

"When the Machina War began," Maechen continued. "All Summoners were sent to the front lines. Zanarkand was hopelessly outnumbered, and Lenne knew she would not return home alive. Nonetheless, she was prepared to lay down her life to protect her people."

She would fight for Zanarkand. As Yuna once fought for Spira. They had been willing to sacrifice their lives for their homes. Rikku shook her head, looking down. Why was that always the case?

"Yet there was one person who refused to let Lenne die," Maechen said, much to Rikku's appreciation. "Yes, he would do anything to save her. He was… a young man, Lenne's lover."

"Shuyin?" the Al Bhed asked, finding something in common between him and Yuna's Guardian.

Maechen hesitated. "I… don't know. There were once rumors… He was her Guardian… he played Blitzball at a game where she sang… he played the keyboard at her concerts… The truth is, his name was lost to history."

Yuna looked down. It sounded kind of like how the name of her Guardian would be lost to history. She knew… she should speak it more often. But it still hurt too much to say… to even think. She _couldn't_ think it… or she'd start crying again.

"Whatever his name," Maechen went on. "The youth endeavored to steal the enemy's machina and save Lenne. However…"

It didn't go so well.

Maechen closed his eyes, once again lost in memories. There were so many memories to get lost in. Sometimes, it felt like there were too many. There were hundreds. Thousands. One thousand memories...

"He was captured ," Maechen said. "During his interrogation, it was discovered that he loved a Summoner, and that everything he did, he did to save her. His captors used this against him, deciding that they could ransom him back to Zanarkand. Lenne was requested to journey to Bevelle in order to bring him home.

"What followed is purely speculation," the old scholar admitted. "But it is believed that when the boy's guards opened the door to his cell, he lashed out at them. And then he attempted to retake the machina he had failed to steal the first time around. When word of this reached Lenne, she, too, broke away from her guards and pursued her lover."

Yuna's heart began to pound. This story was beginning to come together…

"They met with a truly tragic end," Maechen concluded. "Those images we all witnessed are most certainly a record of their last moments."

"Well that's _dumb_!" Rikku exclaimed loudly, her eyes unusually bright. "If Lenne really was a genius Summoner, why on _Spira_ didn't she Summon anything?"

"Shuyin was trying to steal Vegnagun," Paine replied calmly, much to Maechen's amazement. She turned to Yuna. "Lenne was trying to stop him, right?"

Yuna nodded, her body beginning to quiver. "Lenne wanted peace. She didn't want Vegnagun to be used. She must have known how dangerous it was. And she must have realized how sensitive it was. Summoning an Aeon in its presence might have really set it off."

"So she just stood there while those soldiers shot at them?" Rikku was thunderstruck. She shook her head. "That isn't fair. He tried so hard to save her! I get him! Wanting to stop Summoners from sacrificing themselves. I understand that better than anything! I was the same two years ago! When you want something that much – when you want to save someone you care about that much – it's maddening just to think about failure! If you had actually died, Yunie… I would have been so lost. How could she just stand there?"

Yuna walked over to her cousin and quietly took her in her arms. "She found peace with her fate. Like I had." She pulled away and smiled, even as tears slid down Rikku's face. "Two years ago, just knowing that you were on my side was enough. I'll always be grateful to you for that."

"Then was it the same for Lenne?" Paine asked. "The man she loved… he struggled to save her. He fought till his very last breath for her. How could her final words have been anything but 'I love you'?"

"Her final words?" Yuna asked, looking over at the sphere hunter. "She didn't have any final words."

"What?" Rikku asked weakly.

"She broke away from her escort to follow Shuyin," Yuna reminded them. "Those guards were on her heels the entire time. When she finally found him… they weren't given the chance to speak. She didn't have the time to tell him anything other than that he must stop. They were both… killed… before he could hear her say it."

She remembered from her nightmare. Lying there… with _him_ just a few feet away… _she wanted to tell him how much she loved him._ Those thoughts had been Lenne's. She never got the chance.

"The one person she wanted to tell," Yuna whispered. "He never heard her words." She looked back at her cousin. "Then he really is like you, Rikku. He would have done anything to keep her from sacrificing herself. And when the moment came, he couldn't have understood why she stopped him. Or why she didn't Summon. And if she never got the chance to say she loved him…"

"_He's_ the one who's lost," Rikku realized. "That's why he feels like he failed. And that's why he's after Vegnagun again."

"'Someday your precious weapons will end up destroying you,'" Paine quoted, thinking back to the sphere they had seen of Shuyin in Chateau Leblanc. "He isn't going to stop until he's used Vegnagun to carry out that threat."

"The first thing Lenne wanted was to love him," Yuna said softly. "The last thing she wanted was for Vegnagun to destroy Spira. He has to be stopped."

"How do we go about doing that?" Rikku asked.

And Yuna shook her head. "I don't know."

**ooooooo**


	47. The Power of Love Conquers All!

**ooooooo**

Maechen had left, but his words remained with the three women. And his words would continue to remain with them for the rest of their lives. Something like that… just couldn't be forgotten.

Now, as they walked towards the Celsius's cockpit, they thought about Lenne and Shuyin's story. It was heartbreaking. And it wasn't over. Yuna was glad that it wasn't over. Even though everything seemed so terrible right now, it wasn't final. Finality would have made it even worse.

_What's final can't be righted,_ she thought to herself. And all the while she hoped… deep inside her heart… that another story in her life wasn't final yet either.

An alarm suddenly went off over the airship's intercom.

"Hey!" Rikku objected. "What's the big idea?"

Buddy's voice spoke over both the intercom and over the alarm. "Leblanc's crew. They've infiltrated the Celsius!"

Yuna groaned, even as she and Paine quickly turned to follow a different route towards the airship's entrance.

Rikku stumbled after them in annoyance. "This is _so_ not the time!" But then, she couldn't really blame them for breaking and entering. It wasn't like the Gullwings hadn't ever broken into _their_ home after all.

Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi were casually walking down the corridor as if they owned the airship when the three Gullwings cut them off.

"You've got some nerve," Paine noticed, drawing her sword threateningly. "And, you might want to leave."

"Relax, love, we're just here to talk," Leblanc replied, not the least bit intimidated by the sphere hunter's gesture. "I even brought a peace offering." She produced a crimson sphere and tossed it at the warrior.

Paine started in surprise, catching the familiar red orb in her hand. She sheathed her sword and continued to stare at the sphere in wonder. She had told herself that she would let go of her past. But nevertheless, she brought the sphere down to her belt.

"We're listening," Yuna said.

Leblanc nodded her satisfaction. "I've decided to start sphere hunting again. I am going to find my Noojie-Woojie!" Paine rolled her eyes, but the other woman didn't notice. "And I've come to make you spill. What do you know about his whereabouts?"

Yuna shrugged. "Nooj is on the Farplane. I saw him there with Gippal." No sense lying about it.

"The Farplane?" Leblanc hesitated, and stared at the Summoner as if debating whether or not she could be believed. "What's he doing in a place like that?"

"What are _you_ doing at Yunie's concert?" Rikku shot back. "And what makes you think you can just barge in like this after something so serious!"

Leblanc crossed her arms haughtily. "I _was_ at the concert hoping to see Nooj. If it's a performance to unify Spira, than who better to invite than Spira's leaders? And you're one to talk. Now. Answer _my_ question!"

"I think he's searching for Baralai and Vegnagun," Yuna obliged.

Leblanc nodded, thoughtfully. "Hmm. I might have known Baralai's the one pulling Vegnagun's strings."

"No, it's not like that!" Yuna jumped forward in alarm. The last thing she needed was Leblanc spreading around rumors. But how to explain? "Baralai's not-"

"Never mind!" Leblanc waved a haughty hand. "I don't have time for this. Boys, we're going to the Farplane!" She turned to leave.

But Logos and Ormi were _not_ thrilled by such an idea.

"But _boss!_"

"We're no match for that sort of opponent!" Logos turned to look pleadingly at Yuna for support.

But Leblanc wouldn't hear of it. "Now, don't be silly. The power of love conquers all!" It was strange… hearing a comment like that coming from Leblanc. Yuna was beginning to realize that no matter how well she thought she understood her rival, the woman would keep on surprising her, probably for the rest of their lives.

In any event, Yuna felt her respect for Leblanc increase a little.

"Now," the Syndicate leader placed her hands on her hips. "I've got two favors. Get _someone_ to turn off that obnoxious alarm, and give us a ride to the Farplane." No please, no thankful. Leblanc sure knew how to ruin pleasantry.

"Get your _own_ airship!" Rikku shot back. But nevertheless, the alarm turned off as if on cue.

And then Buddy's voice sounded over the intercom again. "Gullwings. Report to the bridge. We're receiving a weak transmission!"

Yuna and Paine immediately turned to proceed into the cockpit. Rikku, however, shot one last irritated glare Leblanc's way. It clearly said that she should take her captains and leave right away.

Of course, _that_ look only provoked the Syndicate leader, and she pushed her way past the Al Bhed girl, following the other two into the cockpit.

"Hey!" Rikku scrambled after her quickly, and Logos and Ormi both made haste to follow.

"What's going on?" Yuna asked as they all piled in. When Brother perceived the Syndicate members, he grew about as hostile as Rikku, but wasn't quick enough to say anything at all about it before Shinra started speaking.

"Do you remember how Rikku told you that we tossed a commsphere into the chasm after you, when you fell into it at the Djose Temple?" he asked. He didn't even wait for Yuna to open her mouth in response before he continued. "I'm getting signals from it, but I can't seem to connect." He looked back at the commsphere before him, for once in his life, at a complete loss.

Leblanc rolled her eyes. "Enough, little boy. Move aside." She strode towards the commsphere, brushing past Buddy and Brother as if they were invisible. And then, she very literally shoved Shinra out of her way. Everyone was affronted by such an action, but also too stunned to do anything.

Brother was just flabbergasted, and he pointed at her, stuttering some wild accusation in Al Bhed that no one, not even Rikku, could understand.

Leblanc held up one large fan and smacked it down several times on Shinra's console. The boy was mortified, even as Brother finally managed to spit out one comprehensible word.

"Vandalism!"

But a moment later, the commsphere's screen came to life, and a beautiful image of the Farplane glen spread across it tranquilly.

Leblanc crossed her arms in satisfaction. "You see? It connected."

Everyone gaped. And Shinra muttered the one thing they were all thinking. "Inconceivable."

But then Rikku took a step forward. "Ooh. It's beautiful." She, herself, had never before walked inside the Farplane. She kept her memories inside, and hadn't ever been able to bring herself to visit the one place that kept Guadosalam significant. She glanced at Yuna. "Is that where you saw-?"

"No," the Summoner shook her head. "That place is different. But it looks pretty much the same."

"Impressive machina." The voice was projected over the commsphere's transmission. And everyone in the cockpit recognized it instantly.

"Gippal!" Rikku's heart hammered in her throat as the Al Bhed appeared on the screen. It was obvious that he was staring at the commsphere on the other end in curiosity.

"An invention like this could change the world," he noted. "Whoever came up with it is a genius."

Shinra could be heard smirking. "He's got good taste." Rikku couldn't help but smile at the thought that at least _Shinra _approved of the guy.

Presently, Gippal stretched backwards, holding his arms up over his head in self-satisfaction. He spoke rather smugly. "Guess I'm a genius too for fixing it."

Rikku's body grew warm. _Why was Gippal always like that?_ It infuriated her! And yet… at the same time… her heart wasn't beating in anger.

As for Paine… _She_ was openly smiling for the first time in forever. _That_ was the Gippal she knew so well. _That_ was the Gippal she had sorely missed.

He was leaning in towards the commsphere now, making a few adjustments as he called out: "Anybody home?"

"Gippal!" Rikku shouted before catching her breath.

The Al Bhed frowned. "Hmm. No response."

Rikku's heart wrenched. There was nothing like wanting desperately to call out to someone when they just couldn't hear…

Someone snickered off screen. "Some genius."

And it was Leblanc's turn to gasp in heart-struck longing. "Noojie!" Yuna glanced quickly at Paine, and saw that she, too, seemed slightly unable to breathe.

Nooj appeared behind Gippal, staring at him in a mixture of amusement, impatience, and boredom. "If you're done _playing_, let's _go_!"

_There_ was the Nooj that Paine remembered. She relaxed exponentially, and continued to watch in good humor. It was nice, seeing the two of them getting along. Now, if only Baralai could be there as well…

"Chill out," Gippal looked like he was in no big hurry. He started fiddling with the commsphere again.

Nooj regarded his back coolly. "Lost your nerve?" He didn't sound impatient anymore, or even challenging. He sounded… concerned. Understanding.

"Hey," Gippal pushed to his feet and spun around. _He_ didn't need Nooj's concern. Typical. "We're talking about Vegnagun! How do you fight that thing? We can't even walk up to it without freakin' it out."

"Or making it mad," Nooj agreed. "But I've got a plan."

Paine had heard that before. She grew tense again, for coming from Nooj, remarks like _that_ didn't tend to end too well.

Gippal felt it, too. Apprehension. For a moment, he didn't speak. And then: "If it doesn't work?" Paine knew, and Nooj probably did, too, that what Gippal was _really_ asking was: _And if I don't _let_ it work?_

But Nooj wasn't kidding around this time. Not that he _ever_ kidded around, but there was something different in his voice now. "Death will be my apology."

Gippal scoffed. "_Whatever_, man. When a Deathseeker dies, that's no apology." Paine knew what he was thinking. _Don't plan on dying, Nooj. It's not worth it to us._ However, Nooj remained completely unaffected, so Gippal decided to go a different route. To try reminding Nooj what he had to live for. "What about Leblanc?"

Now _that_ question affected the Meyvn. He stared at Gippal in obvious discomfort. "Well… She-"

Static suddenly poured over the screen, and Leblanc – who had been fanning herself in a near swoon – slammed the fan shut in frustration. "Why did it cut off like that? Just when it was getting to the juicy bits?"

Alarmed, Shinra dove between her and the commsphere, in a pathetic attempt to shield it with his body. "It's not my fault!"

She scoffed. "What a piece of _junk_!" If _any_thing could have caused the boy to cry, it would have been her words right then and there. But even then, he looked closer to kicking her than anything else.

"Shows how little _you_ know," Rikku said, crossing her arms. She then addressed Shinra. "After all, _Gippal_ said it was an impressive machina. And if _Gippal_ said it-"

"It has to be true?" Paine asked in such a way that caused Rikku to blush. She turned away quickly as Yuna smiled.

Leblanc shook her head. "Forget this. I'll ask him myself." She turned and made her way out of the cockpit. Logos and Ormi followed, and several minutes later, the Gullwings could see them walking outside through the windshield.

Brother was fuming. "She shall never board my ship again!"

"Good," Shinra said. The two of them were unquestionably together on _that_ particular matter.

"What about the Gullwings?" Buddy asked, deciding to remain perfectly neutral. He turned towards Yuna. "What do we do next?"

_That_ much had already been decided. "We stop Shuyin."

"How?" Shinra asked, though only half listening as he turned to inspect his commsphere, fearing that Leblanc might have damaged it somehow.

_I don't know._ That had been Yuna's answer when Rikku had asked the same question. But now… Yuna wasn't _certain_. But she thought she _might_ have a way now. Something Leblanc had said earlier. _The power of love conquers all!_ Maybe there really _was_ a way.

"I want to try talking to Shuyin," the Summoner said. "I have to tell him how Lenne felt. I'm sure he'll understand."

"How?" Brother demanded skeptically. "It's not like we can exactly arrange an appointment!"

True. But since when had they ever allowed something like _that_ to stop them before? Paine smirked. "We'll just have to jump into one of those holes."

"Yeah!" Rikku agreed exuberantly. "_Together_ this time!" They both glanced expectantly at Yuna. The last time they had suggested waltzing down into a chasm, _she_ had chosen instead to run away. Would it be the same _this_ time as well?

But Yuna smiled and nodded. "I agree."

"Yes!" Rikku jumped forward, and she, Yuna, and Paine all high-fived enthusiastically.

"But we can't do it just yet," Buddy quickly cut in.

"What?" Everyone turned to stare at the navigator, who felt his face flush.

"Did you forget?" he asked quietly. "All those people outside… We're the ones who ferried them out here. We can't just up and leave without ferrying them back to their homes, can we?"

Rikku rubbed the back of her head. "Oh yeah. I guess not." She smiled sheepishly.

"Then it's settled!" Brother exclaimed. "We clear the Thunder Plains! And then we move out!"

**ooooooo**


	48. Vidina

**ooooooo**

It had been decided that the first few stops the Celsius would make when ferrying the people back out of the Thunder Plains would be to the south, and then they would progressively turn north. With that in mind, the airship started towards Besaid Island.

Presently, as the ship was once again filled with guests, Yuna once again took refuge in the engine room. Aside from the sound of running machina, everything was quiet and calm, and she was finally able to feel a moment's rest. There wasn't much she could think of at that moment that could prove better than such tranquility, and she eased against the wall she was huddled next to comfortably.

The door to the engine room suddenly slid open again, and Yuna looked up to see Buddy walk in with a few tools in hand. He waved to her in greeting, and then proceeded to an engine where he began making a few adjustments. "How're you doing, Yuna?"

"Enjoying the quiet," she replied, which caused him to swing his head around in surprise. But then he smiled.

"Right," he chuckled softly to himself before turning back to the engine. "Sometimes it's hard remembering your sudran was Al Bhed. But then… not just anyone would find quiet in a room filled with machina."

"Oh, no?" she asked teasingly. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"Of course," he assured her, patting his hand lovingly against the engine. "This's my baby."

Yuna tilted her head wonderingly. "It's like you're talking to a person."

"And why not?" Buddy asked, smiling fondly. "After all… This ship is one of the Gullwings too, y'know."

"She's been around longer than me, huh?" Yuna thought about the ship reflectively. It was a beautiful piece of machina. One of the best she had ever seen. And at its bow, there was a little white figurine of a gull. This ship would soon be known by everyone in Spira.

"Me and her met for the first time right after you brought us this Calm of yours," Buddy said, sitting down opposite her comfortably in order to better reminisce. "I'd caught word that an old airship was at the bottom of the sea way up in the north. Me and Brother made our way through a sea of ice. A fog moved in, so thick we couldn't tell west from east." The mere memory of it brought him to shiver. "On top of that, we were freezing our blitzballs off. Yep, I thought we were done for."

Yuna couldn't believe it. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "So what'd you do?"

"_We_ didn't do anything," he replied with a shrug. "It was like we were rescued. Because, out of nowhere, it appeared flying above us. A single gull. We didn't have a lot of options, so me and Brother chased after it with everything we had left. And by some stroke of luck, we found this ship nestled in the ice, along with our winged rescuer."

"That's amazing," Yuna exhaled. "So that's why we're the Gullwings?"

"Well…" Buddy looked nervously at the floor. "Partly."

"Partly?" she frowned at that as he turned back to the engine. "What do you mean, partly? Is there more to the story?"

"I…" Buddy looked down, shaking his head. "Never mind."

"Buddy…" Yuna felt bad, but she wanted to know. "Please?"

He sighed softly, but still wouldn't look at her. "We were lucky to find the airship, but we were still on thin ice, so to speak. See… we had nothing to eat. We were nearly dead from hunger. And there was that single gull, out of nowhere. As if it had come to save us, right? With the very last of our strength… we bagged the bird… and…" He shook his head again. "The Gullwings were supposed to fly out of nowhere, rescuing those who found themselves on thin ice. I guess we all got kind of caught up with the whole sphere hunting game."

Yuna suddenly realized that _this_ was Buddy's regret. She needed to say something – anything – that would ease his shame. "It's a good thing everything worked out the way it did. Otherwise… we wouldn't be where we are right now… searching for a way to save Spira from Vegnagun. And I can't think of a better way for us to honor that gull. Can you?"

He smiled softly and turned back to her. "It's true what they say about you. You know?"

Yuna frowned. "What do they say about me?"

His smile broadened. "Never mind." Turning back towards the engine, he continued making his adjustments. When he was done, he stood up and headed for the door. But then he paused and glanced back at her solemnly. "I do hope you find who you're looking for, Yuna. You deserve him."

And then he was gone, before Yuna could even say thanks. She was standing up to run after him when the door opened a third time and Rikku burst in.

"Come quick, Yunie!" she urged, throwing her arms up enthusiastically. "We just got off the commsphere with Jassu! Lulu's had her baby!"

**ooooooo**

Out of everyone living in Besaid, only a very few had failed to attend Yuna's concert. And those few had consisted of Lulu, Wakka, the Aurochs, and the midwife. They had all _wanted_ to go, there was no doubt about that. But the time approaching the baby's arrival was just too imminent to justify travel of any sort.

It was a wise decision to have been made. Now Lulu was a mother. And there was no place she, or any in her family, deserved to be more than at home, together.

The Celsius arrived in due time, and as Brother and Buddy helped get the weary travelers on their ship back outside, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine made haste to the village as quickly as they could.

The Aurochs, Wakka included, knew that they were coming, and as soon as the three grew visible at the village gate, the Blitzers rushed forward to meet them.

"Hey!" Wakka called out in greeting as Yuna rushed into his arms. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Oh, Wakka, I'm so happy for you!" she told him, pulling back far enough to brush tears from her eyes. "Congratulations!"

"Yeah!" Rikku hopped up and down. "From me, too, tubby!"

"Hey," he looked at her, feigning disapproval as his teammates snickered. But then he smiled. "Thanks, Rikku. I'm glad you're all here." He looked over at Paine, who smiled and nodded. He grinned and gestured towards his home. "I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting, ya? It's a boy. You wanna meet him?"

"Yeah!" Yuna exclaimed. "Why do you think we're here?"

He shrugged, and the lot of them started towards the tent. "Lulu'll wanna see you for sure, too, you know. We was afraid you'd not revisit this place in time to see him as a newborn."

"Oh, stop it!" Rikku pushed him slightly from behind. "There's no way in _Spira_ we'd miss this!"

They all smiled, for in moments like those, smiling was all that could be done. There was something about newborn babies. Something… that brought a calm to turbulent waters.

"Well I'm glad," Wakka said, holding the tent flap open for the three women. He looked back quickly at his teammates, who all grinned and ran off – probably off to spread the word to all their neighbors who were now finally returning to their homes.

Inside the tent, Lulu was resting on her bed, cradling a small bundle in her arms. When she saw Yuna, a smile crossed over her face that was most unusual – but also most becoming. "You're here."

"_I'm_ here?" Yuna shook her head. "Lulu… your _baby's_ here!" She and Rikku both rushed forward to sit on the bed around the Black Mage and gaze upon the radiant face of a sleeping child.

"Ur!" Rikku squealed in excitement. "Ra ec cu lida!" Oh, he is so cute!

"Just look at him!" Yuna could barely contain her joy – and the baby wasn't even _hers_! She couldn't even _imagine_ what Lulu and Wakka must be feeling. _Rapturous _couldn't even describe it justly. "He's so tiny…"

Wakka was beaming. "What do you think? He's cute, ya? Good thing he don't look like me."

"Don't be silly," Yuna shot back, without raising her eyes up from the baby. Instead, she just pointed. "Look, he's got your mouth."

Wakka took a step forward. "You think so?"

"What's his name?" Rikku demanded as Yuna nodded her head.

Lulu sighed. "I think the Calm will end before Wakka makes up his mind." Despite her words, it was obvious that a name was one of the last things she cared about. How could she have any cares at all? Just holding her child with Wakka beside her was enough.

Yuna looked up at him in amusement. "Well, you better decide soon." _I missed the baby's birth. Maybe I can still be here at least when Wakka names him._

But her Guardian just scoffed. "No rushing, ya? Naming my son is my first important decision as a parent! Becoming a good father requires intense emotional preparation, ya?" He sounded so well informed.

Rikku finally looked up at him. "How long you planning on preparing?"

"Until-" Wakka hesitated, all his good information flying out the tent flap. "Uh… until my preparations are done, ya?"

At that moment there was a knock on the wall outside, and the flap opened. To Yuna's utter amazement, it was Beclem who stood there, gazing inside uncertainly.

For a moment, no one spoke. And then… the man's gaze fell on the child in Lulu's arms.

"It was impossible for me not to hear," he said, staring at that tiny bundle softly. He glanced up at the Black Mage. "Congratulations, Lulu."

She nodded her head, and without another word, Beclem turned from the threshold and retreated away outside.

"Did we _really_ ferry that guy to the Thunder Plains?" Rikku demanded in mild disgust. She looked over at Wakka, sympathetically noting how he was staring uncomfortably at the floor.

But Yuna… she remembered the last conversation she had had with the man, over Shinra's commsphere. She glanced quickly at Lulu. "Excuse me." And then she rushed outside, looking around quickly for Beclem.

When she finally spotted him, he was holding a traveling bag and heading out of the village towards the docks. She ran after him, calling out his name.

He paused and looked back at her. And though she could tell he was less than thrilled to see her, he nevertheless waited for her to catch up. They started out of Besaid together.

"You came to my concert," she said wonderingly. "Why did you come back here? We would have seen you to Mushroom Rock Road, you know."

"I…" Beclem wouldn't look at her. Instead, he gazed out over the island scenery with an affection in his eyes. "I wanted to say goodbye one last time."

"That was a friendly goodbye you gave Wakka," she noticed gently.

He grew somewhat tense beside her, and for a few minutes they continued to walk together in silence. The village behind them fell out of sight, and before long, they were crossing over the bridges that led to the final stretch of the road to the docks.

"You broke my record at the Gunner's Gauntlet," he said rather suddenly. Yuna started, and looked up at him in surprise – though he still wouldn't face her. "I suppose I never did apologize for the way I spoke to you that day."

"You don't need to apologize to me," she replied quite seriously. "I think you _should_ talk to Wakka."

He stopped and stared at her in disdain. "I never can say the right thing to you! You always make demand after demand. It's amazing that your friends can keep up."

Yuna felt her face redden. "Have you ever thought that maybe it isn't me? And maybe it isn't even Wakka!"

Beclem hesitated. And then he pulled something out of his pocket. "I can't… I can't speak with Wakka. But… I have something I can offer him. If you'd be so kind as to deliver it for me." He handed it to her. And when Yuna looked down, she saw that it was a small golden sphere.

She frowned. "What-?"

"It's a memory of a war buddy," he explained, and Yuna instantly understood that it was a sphere of Chappu. "I would have given it to him myself… but…" He shook his head and looked away.

Yuna gazed at him for a moment, seeing past his harsh exterior. She nodded. "I understand." The two of them started walking again. And they didn't speak until they had arrived at the beach.

The Aurochs were there. Now that they had greeted those returning from the concert, and now that they had some relief from babysitting, they were taking the opportunity to enjoy some much-needed Blitzball. Beclem and Yuna both paused to watch them play.

And as they watched, Jassu passed the ball to Datto, who immediately slung it at Keepa. The goalie grabbed it firmly in his hands and threw it savagely – towards Beclem.

The Aurochs saw their trainer a moment too late. And they all watched in horror as the ball sped straight for the man's face. Expecting the worst, they all cringed, and while some clenched their eyes shut, others turned away in utter dread. _This_ wouldn't be good!

But then… when the ball was within Beclem's reach, he caught it with expert grace and ease. Everyone stared at him in either surprise or relief – or both. For no one had ever expected the man to possess _any_ proficiency at all in Blitzball – he seemed to hate it so much.

He stared down at the blue and white ball in his hands for several moments. And as Yuna watched him, he seemed to lose several years of maturity, so that he looked like a boy again.

Springing up into the air, he savagely threw the ball down towards the ground, using the momentum to fly up even higher towards the sky. Sand sprayed everywhere as the ball bounced back upwards, and Beclem, descending now in fast rotations, threw out his leg. His foot made contact with the ball – sending it flying back towards Keepa.

The goalie was too surprised to move – and ended up with a Blitzball smacking him painfully in the face. He fell over backwards, landing heavily in the sand while Beclem landed gracefully in a crouch. He rose up, then, in perfect composure.

"Whoa! That was amazing!" Even as the Aurochs rushed to help Keepa back to his feet, they couldn't help but compliment their once dreaded trainer's obvious talent.

And Yuna found herself smiling slightly as well, terribly impressed.

"Hey!" Keepa was on his feet again, staring at Beclem in admiration. "Show us that shot again sometime!"

Beclem scoffed. "You practice harder!"

The team grumbled slightly, but then Jassu bounded forward. "Yeah, but we gotta blitz the next time you're here!" The others agreed, though Datto _did_ give Yuna a knowing glance.

He crossed his arms. "Next time you're here, though, we might have another certain someone playing with us that'll _definitely_ give you a run for your gil!"

"Indeed?" Beclem raised his eyebrows at that, sensing Yuna covering her mouth with her hands. The thought of that certain player going up against Beclem was enough to make her laugh. It was a happy thought – and she was in the mood for happy thoughts. Beclem, however, just rolled his eyes. "Relying on other players… Slackers to the very end."

There was an edge to his voice as he said that. And Yuna realized that he, despite everything, had grown fond of this team. He was sad to leave.

She continued to walk with him the rest of the way. The docks were ahead of them, and the ship that would carry Beclem away from the island was waiting. Once… Yuna had taken that boat. On it… she had said what she had truly believed would be her last goodbye to Besaid. But here she was again. Back home.

You never really could tell what the future held in store…

"It's not too late," she said softly as Beclem stared at the boat unhappily. "You can still choose to give the sphere to Wakka yourself."

"You aren't making this easy," he told her. "It's no wonder you defeated Sin. You're the most persistent woman I've ever met."

She cocked her head. "Persistent?"

He glanced at her. "You never give up. At anything, I've noticed. It's surprising, really. After everything you've done… if it had been anyone else, they would have dropped from exhaustion or frustration long ago I think. But you always manage to get what you want, don't you?"

She shook her head. "Not always."

"Not yet, anyway," Beclem allowed. "If I ever do find myself in Besaid again, with you tempting me to confront Wakka, I might give in. But right now… There are other responsibilities I have to see to. I'm sure you understand."

"Yes," Yuna said softly.

"Okay then," he turned away and looked back at the ship. "Farewell, Lady Yuna."

Lady Yuna. He really had come a long way since their first introduction. She smiled at him. "Take care, Beclem."

**ooooooo**

It seemed like Beclem had only just arrived on Besaid… and then he was gone. People passed over that island quickly. Yuna had learned _that_ lesson long ago. People came. People fell in love with the place. And then people left. It had been the same for her father, Braska. And it had been the same for… a certain Guardian. And now it was the same for Beclem.

Yuna stood at the docks for some time after the boat had left. The Aurochs were still behind her, playing away, even though the sun was beginning to set. It reflected out over the water – a bright, radiant gold. _This_ was her home. _This_ was the place where Braska had decided she should be raised. She loved it here.

"Yuna?"

She turned at the sound of her name, and saw Wakka approaching her. She didn't say a word until he was standing on the dock next to her, staring out to sea.

"Beclem left."

"Yeah, I figured," Wakka rubbed the back of his head. "It's a real shame, too. I hoped to say goodbye first."

"He-" Yuna hesitated, and then pulled free the sphere on her belt. She quickly pressed it into Wakka's hand. "He gave me this sphere… He wanted _it_ to give you his goodbye."

"Ya?" Wakka looked at the little golden orb curiously, and then he set it down on the wooden boards they stood upon. "Let's see." He activated it and stood back to watch.

The image that shot up from the recording was one of a boy that Yuna instantly recognized. Chappu.

Beside her, Wakka tensed. _This_ was the goodbye that Beclem offered him?

"Hey, Wakka…" Chappu obviously meant that this recording be for his brother. It had been so long… it was about time Wakka received the message. Yuna felt her heart clench as the Guardian beside her hunched closer to the image. It was the first time he had seen his brother in two years – since his visit to the Farplane on Yuna's pilgrimage.

Chappu smiled sheepishly. "Remember that time…" He shook his head and inhaled deeply. "Nah, you prob'ly forgot. Something I told you back when we were kids, ya? 'There's a sphere on the island,' I said. 'Showin' mom and dad.' I lied. Truth is, there's no such sphere. I'm sorry."

Wakka caught his breath, and then exhaled in acceptance. Yuna stared at him for a moment, and then looked back at Chappu. And for a moment… it was _her_ turn to catch her breath.

She had forgotten… How much Chappu resembled someone else.

He continued to speak. "Back then, you'd lecture me no matter what I did. 'Someone has to keep you in line, ya?' I guess I was kinda bitter. That's why I made up that story about the sphere."

An image of Wakka suddenly appeared behind Chappu. "If you got time to take pictures, you got time to pray! Especially since you're joining the Crusaders!"

Prayer. The one thing Chappu had failed to do before leaving Besaid.

The image of the boy spun towards his older brother. "Enough with the preaching!"

Wakka shook his head. "Someone has to keep you in line, with our parents not around!" With that said, he turned and he fled from the room.

Chappu sighed and looked back at the sphere. "Knock it off with the surrogate parenting and give us both a break. I just need you to be my brother." There _was_ a hint of impatience in Chappu's countenance as he shut the sphere off, and Wakka could see that as he watched his brother's image dissolve. And together, he and Yuna were left staring at an inactive golden orb.

For a moment, they didn't speak. And then Wakka took a deep breath full of regret. "His brother, ya. I don't know why he just couldn't come out and say it."

"He took after you," Yuna replied quietly. "Stubborn. You know?"

"Ya," Wakka picked up the sphere and stood staring out over the water. It would be dark soon. But neither of the two really cared. They stood, looking out to sea for what felt like eternity.

**ooooooo**

Night fell, and the Besaid bonfire was lit. The Gullwings had agreed to stay for dinner, but then they really had to leave to return to the Thunder Plains. There were others that needed to be ferried home after all, and they couldn't be neglected, even if Lulu and Wakka were celebrating their baby's birth.

Yuna sat quietly a little off to the side, watching. Rikku was dancing around the fire with the other Aurochs and a few of the children. Paine was sitting with Lulu, taking her turn to meet the Black Mage's baby. Buddy and Wakka were standing together in quiet conversation as Brother stuffed his face with food. Meanwhile, Shinra was sketching out math formulas in the dirt – the object of unusual attention by one brown-haired little girl.

Yuna sighed, feeling the warmth of the fire against her face as she gazed at the Temple beyond the flames. Two years ago… she had sat at a very similar bonfire to this one… Before her pilgrimage began. That night… everything in her life had changed.

_This_ night, everything in Wakka's life would change. He broke away from Buddy and stood before the fire. "Hey, hey, hey, everyone! I'd like to make an announcement, ya?"

Everyone present stopped what they were doing and turned to pay close attention to the Guardian's words.

For a moment, he hesitated, rubbing the back of his head uncertainly. But then he shrugged and dove in headfirst. "I'd like to introduce the newest member of Besaid Village." He gestured towards Lulu, who was still holding his son in her loving arms. He grinned happily, and Lulu herself smiled, beaming in pride. "I chose a name. His name is Vidina. Everyone take good care of him, ya?"

People immediately started whispering amongst themselves in pure excitement. Rikku was actually laughing, she was so happy, and the dancing started up again. Lulu rose and – still holding Vidina – embraced her husband. It was amazing how naturally they were able to do such a thing with a baby between them.

Yuna watched them happily for a moment, and then turned back towards the fire. She bathed in its glow, all the while wondering if she would ever be in Lulu's place. She certainly hoped so. But only if _her_ Guardian was the one in Wakka's.

The man was suddenly sitting beside her. She looked over at him with a smile and he sighed. "I always try to cram myself into some kinda mold, you know? A Blitzer, or a Guardian, or a follower of Yevon… And now, a father. I get so wound up about what I should be. But you know, in the end, I'm just me. Anyway, I can't keep coming up with new Wakkas all the time, eh? So it looks like I'll just have to start doing things my way. That's the way I'll write our story."

Yuna smiled and leaned in against him. "Hang in there, dad."

Wakka chuckled and shook his head. "Still… Sin was nothing compared to diaper changing, ya?"

Yuna laughed and looked up at her surrogate brother. And then she looked back into the fire. And they sat there together for a long time.

**ooooooo**

Later that night, Lulu was inside her tent with Vidina in her arms. She was rocking him lovingly when Wakka entered quietly.

"Hey," he greeted her in a whisper, moving to sit down beside her on her bed. "Sorry it took me so long to decide on a name, Lu."

"It's all right," she assured him in her low, soothing voice. "I knew it would be worth the wait. I had faith."

"You?" he looked at her as if he didn't recognize the woman in front of him. "Had faith in me?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Wakka, we're in this together. Whether you see it or not, I really do rely on you."

Wakka wasn't always good under pressure. He gulped. "Guess I'd better not drop the ball, ya?" It was there in that one sentence that all his uncertainties came careening back to him. _I mean, how do I know how a father's supposed to act in front of his kid?_ The fear of messing up… It was enough to give a man nightmares!

But Lulu just shook her head confidently. "You won't." And the matter was, in her mind at least, settled. Wakka smiled his acceptance, and the two of them proceeded to give absolutely _all_ of their attention to little Vidina.

Outside, Yuna stood gazing at them through the still-open tent flap. Rikku and Paine quietly came up to stand beside her.

"They're in their own little world," the Al Bhed noted in content. "They're so lucky."

"Yeah…" Yuna sighed.

"Come on," Paine nodded towards the airship, and the three of them started towards it. It was time to return to the Thunder Plains. There really was no reason to spoil the moment with any further long goodbyes.

There had been so many of those in Wakka and Lulu's lives. Yuna was happy for them. With Vidina, they _finally_ had the chance to say "Hello" instead.

**ooooooo**


	49. Victory in Kilika

**ooooooo**

By the time they had returned to the Thunder Plains, gathered the next batch of concert attendees, and flown to Kilika, it was morning. And a cold morning, too, for such a tropical island.

But that made the air crisp and refreshing to Yuna, Rikku, and Paine as they wandered together along the boardwalk, making sure that everyone was returning safely to their homes. It didn't take them long to realize, however, that _most_ of the Kilikans weren't headed for their homes. They were headed for the woods. For the Temple.

"Uh-oh," Rikku grumbled. "_This_ can't be good."

"Should we go?" Paine asked, wondering whether or not the Summoner intended to waste time when there were people waiting in the Thunder Plains.

But then again… the state of affairs in Kilika were important to consider. It was not, in any sense, a waste of time to look into it.

"We should," Yuna agreed, and they made their way past the city gates and towards the makeshift wall created by the Youth League.

A few soldiers were guarding it uncertainly as they were overcome by upset Kilikans.

"Let us in to the Temple!"

"I want to see my sister!"

"Get out of our way!"

What a _wonderful_ way to start the morning. Yuna feared that her concert might have been for nothing as she watched the group of soldiers bear their weapons nervously towards the crowd.

"This road is closed!" one soldier shouted out. "I _can't_ let you through!"

This did not sit well with the people. A full scale riot might have been seconds away, for all these guards knew. "What's wrong with wanting to see our families?"

The men glanced at each other fearfully. They felt for the Kilikans, that was sure. After all, who _wouldn't_ want to see their families? But even still… They had their duties. "Without orders, I can't let you pass!"

Yuna pursed her lips. Something needed to be done. Now. She stepped forward… only to be beaten to the job by a very different Summoner.

"My, my, my, my…" Dona stepped through the crowd and haughtily approached the handful of guards. Yuna paused and watched her in surprise… but then stood back and allowed the other woman to finally reclaim the mantle she had dropped two years ago as a Summoner. "Some boys don't know how to behave. Haven't you noticed you're the only ones nitpicking over party politics? New Yevon, this. Youth League, that." Her arms _had_ been crossed in disgust, but now she pushed a loose strand of silky black hair out of her face rather arrogantly. "It's called a complex. Get over it."

A couple of the Kilikans laughed, and even Yuna smiled. The guards, however, just looked embarrassed.

Dona grew suddenly somber. "Weren't you listening to the song?"

And now _everyone_ was somber. Yuna held her breath, her gaze passing over everyone in the vicinity. _This_ was what her concert had been for. _This_ would decide whether or not her concert had been in vain. _This_ was what the world was waiting for.

Dona shook her head. "Now let them through."

The guard shook _his_ head hesitantly. "But… without the order…"

Dona's eyes flashed. "I just gave you an order!"

The guard practically jumped to. "R-right away!" Within seconds, the door was pulled open, and dozens upon dozens of Kilikans were spilling into the woods towards the Temple.

Only Dona, the Gullwings, and the soldiers did not move right away. The soldiers were too busy moping around, looking utterly ashamed of themselves. Dona seemed lost in thought herself, though when she saw Yuna walking towards her, she spun towards the woods and followed the crowd. She was headed towards the Temple.

And probably Barthello… Yuna smiled, hoping the other Summoner would make it work with the man she loved – even if she wouldn't admit her feelings for him.

"Hey, Yunie!" Rikku bounded towards her cousin. "Look at what your song did! It's working!"

Paine nodded. "Songs are powerful."

_That_ was an understatement. But Yuna agreed. "I guess everyone felt it."

"What you felt?" Rikku asked.

"No, not me," Yuna sighed, looking up at the sky. "Lenne." The emotions that had passed through the Songstress… love… regret… sorrow… but most of all… the longing for peace.

The proceeded after the Kilikans towards the Temple. Getting past the Youth League had been but the first step. _Now_, they needed to get past New Yevon.

Without a heavy load of fiends on the path, it did not take long at all to reach the Temple. The Kilikans were already there, of course, standing together at the base of the giant stairwell where New Yevon soldiers were further blocking their path.

And Barthello was among them.

As the Gullwings hid in the crowd to watch, Dona once again stepped forward to represent the people. She did not look happy.

"The time for hostility has past," she stated clearly – in a tone that _dared_ the Yevonites to object. "The Youth League will drop their weapons. Now, it is your turn to do the same."

Barthello rushed forward. "Dona!"

Her eyes narrowed in a cold fury, and she turned away from him cruelly. "Hmph. Well. I – It seems to me you have forgotten who it is you are supposed to be guarding."

Her words rang out for everyone to hear, and Yuna's heart lightened considerably. All she could think of at that moment was that it was about time. Dona and Barthello _should_ be together, and somehow… Yuna sensed that _now_, they would be.

She looked back at him with a scowl. "I ought to fire you for just up and leaving me the way you did-"

"Dona!" Barthello's face drained completely of color.

"Don't interrupt!" she snapped, turning fully towards him in anger. "I've been practicing these lines for days, so be quiet and let me finish!"

People laughed, and Dona's face darkened considerably. For someone who so clearly wanted peace, she looked ready to kick someone. Namely Barthello.

But he was scrambling down the stairs and rushing towards her desperately. He fell to his knees before her, taking both her hands in his. "Dona, please forgive me! I'll apologize as much as you want! Don't say I can't be your Guardian anymore! I'll never leave your side again!"

The crowd was affected, and even the Yevonites watched in compassion. Rikku was grinning wildly. In _her_ mind, if Dona and Barthello could grow close again, so, too, could New Yevon in the Youth League. And then everything would work out some way or other.

Dona's face was red. "Shut up." She pulled away from Barthello. "You're making such a scene! How humiliating." She either didn't realize or chose to ignore the fact that she was making a spectacle herself. But the difference was… everyone was appreciative of Dona. She glared at her Guardian severely. "Get up!" He obeyed. "And don't think that you're off the hook for embarrassing me like this. You'll be making this up to me for the rest of your life."

There were tears in his eyes. "Dona!" He nodded his head gratefully.

She sighed, and then turned away. "Barthello, we're leaving." He nodded, and together, they started back towards the woods.

"Barthello!" A Yevonite scrambled towards him. "But where are you going? What about your responsibilities?"

The great, bulky man glanced back at the Yevonite over his shoulder. "My only responsibilities are that of a Guardian! I'm quitting New Yevon."

"As I quite the Youth League," Dona affirmed. She glanced over her shoulder as well, towards the Yevonite soldiers. "Let these people see their families. By order of a Summoner." She turned her gaze back towards Yuna. "And possibly two."

Everyone started, noticing Yuna, really, for the first time. She gazed between them all, and then looked back at Dona. She nodded firmly.

The Yevonites sighed. "So be it."

People began to cheer everywhere. The victory in Kilika that day did not belong to the Youth League, or to New Yevon, or to even the Summoners. The victory belonged to Spira.

As the people began scrambling up towards the Temple, Dona and Barthello approached Yuna, Rikku, and Paine.

Yuna smiled, tilting her head in approval. "It's so good to see the two of you together again."

"Oh," Dona lifted a frustrated hand to her forehead. "_Spare_ me. Please."

Rikku nodded. "Will do!" But then she looked at Barthello and winked. The man grinned, happier than the Al Bhed had ever seen him before.

Dona turned towards Paine. "I found this sphere. I thought it only fitting that it should be given to a sphere hunter. My thanks." She handed the woman a crimson orb, and Paine stared at it in surprise.

"I should thank _you_," she said, immediately accepting it and hooking it to her belt.

"Well don't!" Dona snapped. "I'm in a hurry and don't have time for needless gratitude. Barthello!" She started back towards the woods, and her Guardian followed loyally behind.

Yuna, Paine, and Rikku all watched them go, and continued to watch even after they were gone.

Rikku crossed her arms in satisfaction. "I think everything's starting to work out, Yunie."

"Maybe Spira _will_ have its happy ending after all," Paine observed.

"It won't yet," Yuna reminded them quietly. "I truly believe it's on its way. But there's still so much we have to do first."

**ooooooo**


	50. The Moogle

**ooooooo**

It took several round trips to return everyone from Luca back to the city. By the time they managed to, it was afternoon, and the day was bright and beautiful.

Yuna led her two best friends down the streets of the city, taking in the sight of children running around with balloons, mothers chasing after them while laughing in delight, and people in general taking pleasure in such a gorgeous day. Everything was peaceful in Luca. The problems outside the city had never affected it, and now, as the rest of the world began to heal, Luca began to thrive. It was _the_ place to be in Spira.

One of the first things they noticed, while wandering the streets, were all the advertisements posted on billboards or in windows. Sphere Break. Rin's new hit of a card game. Rikku stared at one of the posters in wonder. "He's doing well for himself."

"He's the one who invented the Travel Agency," Yuna noted. "Have we heard anything from him recently?"

"As far as I know, he's still on the Mi'ihen Highroad, trying to figure out what made the machina go all fanatical," Rikku said with a shrug as they continued walking together again. "Not that I think he's having much luck."

"Maybe he ran out of luck with Sphere Break," Paine suggested. "That's always a possibility."

"Right," Rikku scoffed. "You obviously don't know Rin. The guy _doesn't_ run out of luck."

"Everyone does sooner or later," Paine replied, and not even Rikku could argue that. They continued on in silence, and then started back towards the Celsius. They really didn't have the time to be wasting.

They soon made their way to the stairwell that led out to the start of the Mi'ihen Highroad – where the Celsius had parked. There was a rounded corner there, by the water, with a cement balustrade where one could stand and gaze out towards sea. Yuna hesitated when she saw it, for the place had a very dear memory to her heart.

That was where, two years ago, she had stood with Wakka, Lulu, and Kimahri, waiting. Waiting for Sir Auron to arrive and offer his services to her as a Guardian. Where he had requested that her _other_ Guardian accompany them. Where _they_ had stood, by the railing, gazing out to sea, just talking.

And then… laughing. Wakka _had_ said something about thinking they might have lost their minds…

It had only been two years ago… _Yevon_, it felt like twenty.

As Rikku and Paine continued on towards the Highroad, Yuna paused and just stood there, quietly remembering. Only two years… it felt like a lifetime ago.

She walked over to the balustrade and looked out over the water. She closed her eyes and heard her voice from two years ago.

_"If we should get separated, just whistle. I'll come running. I promise."_

She raised her fingers to her lips and blew. The whistle that came out was strong, clear, and loud. It caused Rikku and Paine both to stop short and look back in surprise. Their surprise intensified when they realized Yuna had stopped following them altogether. They glanced at each other uncertainly, for they had no idea what was passing through Yuna's thoughts. Or her heart.

She smiled a bittersweet smile. _I practiced._

It felt like, wherever she went, Spira was full of places tied to her memories. Memories of her journey… Memories of _him_…

She thought about them standing there together, laughing simply to laugh, when there was nothing to laugh about but the fact that they were laughing.

That was just one memory of many. One of a thousand.

Opening her eyes, Yuna stared out to sea again. But in doing so, it was not the waves of the water that caught her attention. It was a moogle!

The creature was small… a little white ball of fuzz with purple wings… and a giant red nose… and a little furry red bobble that dangled off a short string that stuck up from the crown of its head… As all moogles were, it was simply adorable.

Yuna gasped as Rikku and Paine walked up beside her. They were both staring at her in bewilderment, without giving the moogle hovering before them even the _slightest_ bit of attention.

"What's wrong?" Paine asked, and Yuna gestured wildly towards the sea. But when they followed her gaze, that was all the two of them were able to make out. The sea. Paine frowned. "What?"

"But it's…" Yuna looked frantically at the baffled Paine and Rikku, and then back over to the moogle. It was staring at her with what she was certain _had_ to be a smirk. She bit her lip. "You can't see it?"

"See what?" Rikku demanded in concern. She glanced at Paine and saw the same expression on the sphere hunter's face.

"Do you need to take a break?" she asked, worried that if Yuna was having hallucinations, she might not be able to put up much of a fight against Vegnagun.

But Yuna wasn't listening to her anymore. She was the only one who could see it… The last time she had seen something that no one else could… it had been a Fayth. And she _hadn't_ been the only one who could see it. _He _had been able to see it, too.

A burst of hope swept through Yuna's heart. And when the moogle floated away from the Mi'ihen Highroad, and back into the city, Yuna felt more than just _compelled_ to follow.

"Wait here!" she ordered her two friends before running back into Luca.

"Yunie!" Rikku shouted as she and Paine both turned to watch the Summoner disappear into the crowd. But there was nothing they could do. Yuna was gone in the blink of an eye and they couldn't stop her. Instead, they stood there helplessly, glancing at each other in all-out worry.

But there was nothing for them to be worried about. Yuna felt an elation that made her lighter than she had been in too long. Something about this moogle… It was almost like the creature had been sent to her. Or summoned to her.

She _had_ whistled, hadn't she?

No one else could see it? She caught up to it, where it was hovering in a plaza, as if waiting for her. It turned and looked into her eyes…

…And suddenly she was standing in the midst of the Besaid Aurochs. _He_ was there, climbing up onto a pile of crates with a megaphone in his hands.

He turned towards the crowd, raising the megaphone to his lips. "Stop right there, _Goers_!"

He had always had a big mouth. Yuna remembered… two years ago… she had giggled at the sight of him up there.

There was a flash of light, and Yuna was suddenly thrust back into the present. She started, and then looked around.

The moogle was to her left, floating away from her. She hastened after it, wondering where it would lead her next. _To him…?_

She found herself scrambling into the city square. The moogle was floating there, waiting for her to reach it. When she did, it turned and looked at her again.

And again, she was standing in the past. Luca was crowded that day. What with the Blitzball Tournament and all… It would be easy to find oneself lost in the busy streets. "I hope we don't get separated."

"Yuna!"

She turned around in time to see him whistle through his fingers. A wave of amazement swept through her, and she could barely contain her curiosity. She ran up to him in wonder. "What was that?"

He giggled sheepishly. "In Zanarkand, we do this to cheer on Blitzball players." He whistled again to show her. "You try it, too! Put your fingers in your mouth like this…"

She tried doing what he told her, but it felt kind of awkward. "Like… this…?"

"Uh-uh!" He shook his head, his golden hair shining in the sun. "Not like that. Like this." He took pains to correct the way she held her fingers up. "Then, you just blow."

She tried, but couldn't produce the proper sound. Disappointment weighed her down. "It's not working!"

He was trying very hard not to laugh. "Practice!"

She nodded, eager to please. "Okay."

They had only been friends at that point in the journey. But when he looked at her and said his next few words… she had _felt_ something more… something unbelievable. "Hey, use that if we get separated! Then, I'll come running, okay?" He hadn't _meant_ it to mean anything… It had just been a strategy to remain close together in a crowded city.

But… to Yuna… it became a promise she had held onto for two long years.

With another wave of light, she was in the present again, with the moogle gazing at her with an evident smirk on its fuzzy face. It turned and soared away again. And again, she ran after it.

She caught up with it at one of the many Luca docks. As the moogle waited for her, she found herself standing in the past yet again.

She was standing there… with her Guardians around her. Kimahri, Lulu… Wakka and… _him_… They were standing together with no greater concern than the upcoming Blitzball Tournament. That had been quite a day. Yuna would never forget it.

As the present swept back around her, she continued to remember. These memories… weren't just hers. They were _his_, too. And Yuna wasn't ready to let them just be memories. She would find him again. She _had_ to.

Opening her eyes, she found that the moogle was still floating there, watching her. It was not going to fly away again. It was waiting for her.

She approached it hesitantly, as if fearing that it might fade away. Though… a part of her knew that it would… she didn't want it to yet.

"Yunie!"

She could hear Rikku and Paine running after her. They were close to catching up, too. When they did, the moogle would be gone.

Her eyes grew moist, but she didn't cry. She smiled, and lifted a hand up to touch the moogle's face. It allowed her to do so, and never before had she _ever _felt something so soft in her life.

She nodded. "It's… I _know_ I'm confused. But it's okay. I'll find you." She didn't know whether she was talking to the moogle… or just to her memories. But one way or another, it satisfied the little creature, and its smirk softened into bliss. It turned from her then, and floated away. But this time, it faded as well, and Yuna was left standing there in the busy streets of Luca, unable to follow.

She would have stood there for a long time, gazing at the spot where it had disappeared, but Rikku and Paine were finally at her side.

"What's with you?" the sphere hunter demanded in ever increasing concern.

Yuna didn't tear her gaze away from where phantoms of the moogle continued to smile at her comfortingly. "A dream, I think." _Then, _she turned away and felt sweat suddenly break out over her body. "My heart won't stop pounding." And it wouldn't… It was beating steadily, but intensely. A passion… and a desire swept through her… But the only dream that could have satiated it was gone. It left her so hungry… But as she had told the moogle… that was okay.

"That's not a dream!" Rikku said quite certainly, wrapping her arms romantically around herself. "Not if your heart's pounding like that! You and someone you care about are connected somehow!" Rikku figured she knew who it was Yunie was dreaming about. But the Al Bhed hadn't been with her cousin's entourage when they had passed through Luca two years ago, so she couldn't share those memories with the woman here. But then again… she had memories of her own as well. "I've felt that way, too."

"About who?" Paine asked, though the look she sent Rikku's way was knowing. The Al Bhed saw that, and wouldn't be prevailed upon to admit it.

She shrugged her shoulders innocently. "I dunno."

"Spill it," the sphere hunter commanded, turning more completely and more threateningly towards the girl.

She backed away in good humor. "Maybe we can trade secrets!"

And Paine realized she was caught. She exhaled in slight disappointment, but then just shook her head. "You drive a hard bargain."

"Yep," she nodded deliberately, and crossed her arms. "Of course I learned from the best."

Paine rolled her eyes and turned towards the Summoner. "Are you ready to go, Yuna?"

Yes, she was ready. That was all that any of them could do, wasn't it? Keep going forward? They started back towards the Mi'ihen Highroad, where the Celsius waited for them, but Yuna's thoughts remained in Luca… with the moogle.

Her heart was still burning with want… and the confusion she felt… _Anyone_ who lived apart from their loved one could understand that confusion. And the one question that they always found returning to them was… when would it be time to move on?

People everywhere clung to their secrets… to their doubts… and to their memories. They're near impossible to put aside… until a person realizes that enough's enough.

Yuna hadn't realized that yet. And a part of her knew she never would. Some things could only be found through confusion. If she had moved on from her past before… she never would have seen that moogle today. And if she moved on from her past now… she might not see _him_ tomorrow. That alone assured her… that confusion was worth feeling.

She might be miserable now… but she was happy to be so miserable. Because it meant that there was someone in her life _worth_ feeling the misery over. Just knowing that someone, somewhere, loved her as much as she loved him… made the misery bearable.

She was ready to move forward. Because that was all any of them could do. But… in moving forward… she swore that she was moving towards _him_. And if she was moving on from _any_thing, it was from their separation. She wanted to believe that she was headed _towards_ their reunion.

She always had faith in that. And the moogle rejuvenated that faith. They would be together. And then they would build more memories like the ones she had here in Luca.

That was the moogle's promise.

**ooooooo**


	51. A Guado Homecoming

**ooooooo**

There were so many places the Celsius needed to travel to in order to clear the Thunder Plains of all its guests. People had come from all over Spira to attend Yuna's concert, and now, to ferry them back to their assorted homes, the Gullwings found themselves passing from the Mi'ihen Highroad to Mushroom Rock Road. From Djose to the Moonflow, and then, from the Moonflow…

To Guadosalam.

Yuna was, again, in the engine room, drinking some warm tea that Barkeep had brewed for her while she reflected on her journey, when Paine arrived with the news. "The Guado intend to disembark here."

Yuna blinked, and stared at her in shock, wondering if she had heard correctly. "In Guadosalam?"

"That seems to be their intention."

"But…" the Summoner hesitated, confusion boiling up inside of her. "They fled from Guadosalam, didn't they? I thought they had left forever."

Paine shrugged. "I don't know their motive. But they seem fairly adamant about getting off."

It was more than Yuna could have hoped for. She remembered… it seemed like only yesterday – though she was certain it had been longer than that – when she had been wandering through the Macalania Woods in an anguish that they were fading. Knowing that the Guado intended to fade with them had only made matters, in Yuna's mind at least, so much worse, and so much more tragic.

_"We Guado are hardly different from the dead… Now, we live among the shadows of these woods…"_ Those had been Tromell's words. And they had broken Yuna's heart to hear.

She rose to her feet. "I have to see them before they go!" She clutched her mug of tea tightly, hope pouring through her heart. Her concert had intended to unite the Youth League and New Yevon. If the Guado could make peace with their past as well… such would be a blessing that Yuna had not seen coming, and could only look forward to in utter joy.

Paine nodded. "Then let's hurry."

The two women abandoned the engine room – where Yuna left her mug of tea – and continued on towards the corridor that would guide them to the ship's exit. Rikku met them halfway there with a radiant smile.

"We just got off the commsphere with the Mi'ihen Highroad!" she declared jubilantly. "Rin solved the mystery! The machina didn't go haywire on their own! Some hardcore Yevonite sabotaged the hover to discredit the Al Bhed and-" She stopped short at the expressions on Yuna and Paine's faces. "What's going on?"

"The Guado are returning home!" Yuna exclaimed.

Rikku's already beaming face brightened _that_ much more. "This is _great_! We're finally getting the happy endings we all wanted!"

She was referring to the conversation they had had on the Mi'ihen Highroad the day they had first become the Friendly Neighborhood Gullwings, and had stopped the rampaging, fiendish-like machina not so long ago.

_"People who want happy endings have to write their own,"_ _Paine had declared, much to Rikku's dismay._

_"What about me? I want a happy ending, too!"_

_"We all want happy endings," Yuna had analyzed then_. _"They're just so hard to find…"_

But now, things were starting to turn around. Yuna's concert had truly been Spira's turning point. The Highroad was back to normal. And it sounded like Guadosalam might soon be as well.

"We're going to see the Guado," Yuna informed her cousin. "Despite everything, the people of Spira may still hold a grudge against them. I want to be there to welcome them back. It's time for forgiveness."

"Yeah!" Rikku agreed, and joined them as they climbed out of the airship.

Chateau Leblanc could be seen ahead of them, but for once the Manor was not prominent in their minds and thoughts. Instead, they focused on the Guado.

And, to Yuna's great joy, _they_ were not the only ones. Those who lived in Guadosalam – and especially those who had lived there prior to the Eternal Calm – were all gathered together with arms open for the return of their neighbors. The Guado had been gone for too long. It was about time they came home.

The three Gullwings stood back a ways, observing it all in content. This was what Lord Jyscal had been fighting for, Yuna realized silently to herself. Harmony between man and Guado. It had come at last. She couldn't say for sure whether her concert had played a part in bringing this peace together, but that didn't matter to her. All that mattered was that the peace was there. And that it was real.

"Spira just might have a chance after all." Even Paine was compelled to comment on the wondrous new congeniality.

Tromell himself suddenly caught Yuna's gaze. Facing him, she saw that he was leading a band of musicians away from seclusion and into the mix. It only took her a moment to recognize those musicians as the players from Macalania. The players… whose music was as near to fading as the woods were themselves.

She caught her breath, and then started towards them. "Tromell!"

He turned, and when he saw her, a smile warmed his eyes. It wasn't a _cheery_ smile. But it was a start. He performed the Prayer before her. "Lady Yuna. It is an honor."

She bowed her head. "Yes. I am _so_ glad to see you here. You have no idea…"

His gaze turned to sweep over his land. "There is nothing better than coming home again. I truly believed my eyes would nevermore behold a place so dear to my heart."

"What finally convinced you to come back?" Rikku asked, moving to stand beside her cousin. Every time she looked at Tromell, a small part of her would always see the man who had once attempted to destroy them. But the rest of her – the _majority_ of her – would forgive… and forget. Tromell was not a villain. He had once been devoted to a villain… but that manner of devotion could never stem from darkness. It might have been ignorant. And it might have proven foolhardy. But it was not evil. Rikku understood that.

Tromell sighed and glanced towards the Macalanian musicians before replying. "There were a lot of factors. But they mostly concerned music. When we fled Guadosalam, we had every intention of withering away within the withering forest. But it was there that we met our musical friends." He nodded towards the musicians. "They, too, were prepared to fade away with their beloved Macalania Woods."

Even now, after so much time had passed, it still stung Yuna to think about that beautiful wilderness dying. There was nothing about it that was right. And there was nothing about it that could be done. Even still, it hurt.

"And yet," Tromell continued, his voice lifting up into inspirational joy. "Hearing them perform, I felt a quickening in my blood. I was moved. And I found that I could not stand by and let such exquisite music be extinguished."

That was something Yuna understood all too well. She looked up at him, her bright eyes moist. Sometimes… people grew discouraged. They had all been discouraged that day, in the Macalania Woods. The players, and Yuna herself, had been weighed down by despair at the loss of such beauty. The Guado had been weighed down by despair for their own disgrace and homesickness.

It was hard combating such discouragement. But then… with a little motivation… it was staggering what miracles could be made afterwards.

_"People who want happy endings have to write their own."_ That wasn't _always_ the case. But in those times when it was, there was no greater joy for an author than when he finally carved that last paragraph of fortune.

And Tromell was carving it for his people even now. _And_ for the Macalania players. Yuna could sense it.

"After consulting the other Guado," Tromell continued. "It was decided to bring them here. We have accepted the fate of the forest. But we have also accepted that it need not be our fate. Guadosalam shall become home to man, to Guado, and to the spirits of the woods that dwell within these musicians. We shall now begin a new life, in a new but familiar and much beloved home."

"That's terrific!" Rikku exclaimed. "And, it's about time!"

Tromell sighed. "I certainly hope so. I must say, there _were_ honest doubts about whether or not this was a wise choice. It is no secret that the Ronso still hate my kind. I do not blame them for it. Were they to attack tomorrow, I would not run or hide, but give my life willingly. It is all I deserve."

"That's not true," Yuna said strictly.

"Besides!" Rikku jumped right in before Tromell could object. "You don't have to worry about the Ronso! Their elder's on top of things!"

The old man smiled softly. "That is auspicious news. And I suppose it is an example we must follow ourselves. The Guado, too, must choose a new leader."

"What about you?" the Al Bhed suggested offhandedly.

And Tromell stared at her skeptically. "Preposterous. I will never be remembered for anything but my service under Lord Jyscal and Lord Seymour." The man had no sense of pride whatsoever.

And the musicians from Macalania were quick to object.

"Ye'd make a fine leader!"

"Quit yer bellyaching!"

"There's no cause to be modest!"

One stepped towards the astounded Tromell with a look of solemnity that brought the Guado to turn away in embarrassment. "You guided us out of a forest of death and into a world of hope and salvation. And you did so without regard to your own safety – for you knew there was a chance that your welcome here might not have been so open. You showed a resolve worthy of a leader."

Tromell looked only slightly convinced. "Of course… I will do whatever I can for my beloved Guado. It is all that is left to me." He shook his head. "Still… I could falter. My strength comes only from your music."

"Not true," Paine cut in for the first time. Everyone looked over at her and she shrugged. "It's kind of like what Yuna said about Spira at her concert. It shines brighter and stronger everyday. There will always be disagreements and arguments… people will always falter. But as _her_ song helped unite the people, so, too, did _their_ music help reveal a strength that's always been inside you. Or so I'd imagine." A small trace of color spotted her cheeks, and she crossed her arms and looked away, growing indifferent again to mask it.

For a moment after that, no one spoke. But then, one of the players grinned, and hopped around the Guado. "Don't cha worry! If you're ever feeling weary, we'll play a song to make you cheery!"

A small laugh escaped Rikku's lips. "That's right! If your strength comes from music, just keep the music playing!" It was good advice. Some of the best Yuna had ever heard from anyone.

At that moment, however, one man, who had been listening to much of their conversation from afar, took the time to approach. His gaze fell over Tromell in a rather businesslike manner. "There might even be a job on hand to ease you into a new role of leadership among your people."

"Huh?" Everyone turned towards the newcomer in surprise, having _definitely_ not foreseen _that_.

"Of what do you speak?" Tromell asked in concern.

The man wasted no time in explaining. "The one attraction Guadosalam has to offer the people of Spira is growing more and more unstable by the day."

"What?" Rikku gasped.

"The Farplane?" Yuna stared at the man in horror. _Had they heard right?_

Tromell calmly regarded the man, contemplating his words. "Go on."

He nodded. "Pyreflies have been congregating there. Which sounds normal, I know. But there have been more than usual. A _lot_ more than usual. And their numbers grow every day. It's upsetting the surface. I fear that, before long, the Farplane could utterly and completely collapse. It is good that the Guado have returned. Your people are the only ones who understand it enough to save it."

Tromell nodded. "You must show me at once." He turned towards Yuna. "I apologize, but this I must see to."

"I understand," she assured him, feeling her own legs weaken. "Go. And hurry."

He performed the Prayer once again. "I owe you a debt of gratitude, Lady Yuna. I shall never forget. You bring Spira joy."

His words offered her no comfort at all. Her mind was _much_ too distracted by the troubling information she had so unexpectedly collected.

The Farplane was unstable? It could collapse due to the enormous amount of pyreflies congregating there?

_Shuyin._

It was the only explanation. And once the Farplane was gone… would Spira be next?

There was no time to waste. They needed to finish clearing the Thunder Plains and journey to the Farplane quickly. Before it was too late.

**ooooooo**


	52. Mending Fences

**ooooooo**

The Celsius was on its way to Bevelle for the third time – _that_ was how many Yevonites had attended Yuna's concert. It was a good thing for Spira's unity, to be sure. But at the same time, it felt like things were taking forever.

_The Farplane is growing unstable…_ Yuna couldn't help but reflect on everything she had heard in Guadosalam. Shuyin was making a mess of things. She sensed they had very little time to spare.

"Yuna?" Paine slowly poked her head into the engine room. And then she stepped completely in, with a man behind her. "You have a guest."

The Summoner frowned, quickly rising to her feet while somewhat flustered. "Maroda?"

It was indeed him. The Guardian of the Summoner Isaaru. The Youth Leaguer Yuna had encountered on Mushroom Rock Road, outside the Den of Woe. The last she had heard of him, he had been in Bevelle, spying on New Yevon.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, somewhat apprehensively. "Did you miss the ferry to the Youth League's headquarters?"

"No," Maroda let out a nervous laugh. "I… I guess it does appear that I'm returning to Bevelle for the wrong reasons. But rest assured. I only intend to rejoin my brother."

Yuna frowned. "Pacce?"

"Actually!" Maroda laughed again. He shook his head at the irony. "_Both_ my brothers. Pacce _and_ Isaaru. They've gone to Bevelle, you see."

Yuna's heart lightened then as nothing else currently in the world could have lightened it. "You mean he's left Zanarkand?"

"Yeah," Maroda smiled warmly. "Apparently, a bunch of monkeys got out of hand."

Yuna and Paine shot each other knowing and amused glances.

"Besides," the Guardian shrugged his shoulders. "Even though he was unable to attend your concert, Isaaru gained word of how bad things were going in Spira. Even without the monkeys, he couldn't ignore his calling as a Summoner."

Yuna smiled. That was something she could understand. "So you're going to be his Guardian again?"

Maroda scoffed. But then… his expression softened, and he nodded. "Looks like it. I suppose _someone's_ gotta watch his back. Despite everything… he's a good guy. You know?"

"Yes," Yuna nodded. "It's good of you, Sir Maroda. Isaaru is most fortunate to have you as his brother."

"Yeah, well," Maroda waved a hand at that and then turned to leave. When he reached the door, however, he paused and glanced back at her over his shoulder. "Your concert did Spira a favor, Lady Yuna. We shall always be grateful to you for that. And that won't ever change."

Yuna uncomfortably brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking down at the floor. She couldn't reply, and didn't look back up until Maroda had left. Once she did, however, she found that Paine was watching her thoughtfully.

"So it finally quieted down in Zanarkand," she noted. "I guess your memories are safe now, Yuna."

The Summoner sighed, unable to deny that those very thoughts had been passing through her head the moment Maroda had mentioned Isaaru's withdrawal. But then… it didn't make her happy. If anything, surprisingly, it only increased her regret.

"I…" she found herself looking down again. "I have to learn to be stronger. Even places like… Zanarkand… places full of memories… they can't last forever. I _do_ need to learn to accept that."

Paine frowned. "You want to stop caring?"

"No, I…" she shook her head. It wasn't that she wanted to stop caring. It was that she wanted to move forward, as she had discovered in Luca, while chasing after the moogle. She needed to move forward, away from her memories, and towards her dreams.

_Especially_ towards one dream in particular.

"I want to find something more precious than a memory," she tried to explain. She looked up again, and shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose that, until I can do that, protecting Zanarkand is just as important. The monkeys can't do it alone."

_She's right,_ Paine acknowledged as the Celsius touched down on land again. _Places full of memories… needed to be faced and then placed behind a person. As I need to face the Den of Woe and place it behind myself._

If Yuna could stand up to Zanarkand… couldn't Paine stand up to the dark, ominous cavern? It only seemed fair.

And at that moment, either by divine intervention or by pure and utter coincidence, Maroda reentered the engine room.

"We've arrived in Bevelle," he informed them, before looking thoughtfully at Paine. "I found something of yours a few days ago in Bevelle. I figured… I should give it to you now… as I don't know when we'll see each other next."

Paine frowned as the Guardian handed her a small sphere.

A crimson sphere.

Her tenth and final crimson sphere.

Together, she and Yuna both stared at it in absolute shock. Maroda had no _idea_ what he had just given them!

But before they could contemplate the matter aloud, an alarm suddenly broke out over the intercom and throughout the entire airship.

"Intruder Alert!" Brother could be heard practically screaming – no, _definitely_ screaming – over the noise. "Gullwings! Seek and Destroy!"

Paine could _not_ believe her ears. She skeptically looked over at an astounded Yuna. "He's kidding, right?" The Summoner could only shrug and shake her head. When did _Brother_ ever kid?

Maroda stood there confused. "But… this airship is full of people. How can you be expected to find an intruder?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Yuna replied. "I wonder who it is." Leblanc? Brother had insisted that she would _never_ be allowed on the Celsius again. But Yuna couldn't even _begin_ to imagine why the woman would have returned after such an adamant declaration that she was going to the Farplane after Nooj. It didn't make sense.

But then Rikku ran into the room to enlighten them. She looked positively livid herself. "Yunie! It's my vydran! He's hiding somewhere on this ship! He's stowing away on _our_ ship!"

_Uncle Cid?_ Well, Yuna thought. _That_ would explain it.

Hardly sparing even a _moment_ to offer Maroda an apologetic glance, she hastened after Rikku, with Paine on her heels. They would find Cid if it was the last thing they ever did! It was either that or face Brother…

It was to their relief, then, when, upon making their way through the crowded corridors of the airship, they found Cid walking calmly towards the cockpit – as if the Celsius were his. Rikku's indignation was great.

She angrily ran up from behind him. "Just _what_ do you think you're doing? You're _supposed_ to be sulking in the Thunder Plains!"

He shot her an impatient snarl. "I got _tired_ of sulking! Excuse me!" He spun back around and continued towards the cockpit. Yuna, Rikku, and Paine followed close behind him.

Upon entering, it was all Buddy could do to hold Brother back – for the captain looked _more_ than ready to tackle his father and beat the man for everything he was worth.

Shinra, meanwhile, was either keeping out of the way or cowering behind his chair. After all, it wasn't everyday the young Al Bhed gazed upon his tribe's leader.

The alarm was still ringing over the airship, and as Cid stared down his son, Paine quietly turned it off and worked the controls that would open the airship's lower door so that all the Yevonites could retreat back out into their city.

Brother glowered furiously at his father. "Vydran, oui'ja kud cusa hanja!"

Cid just sneered haughtily back at the boy. "Yuna'c cuhk sekrd ryja paah sayhd vun Spira'c ihedo, pid ed nasehtat sa uv dra cdyda so vysemo ec eh. E's rana du dymg drehkc uid fedr oui, yht oui'na kuehk du rayn sa uid fradran oui fyhd du un hud!"

It took a moment for Brother to fully comprehend what his father had just said, but once he had, he turned an even darker shade of scarlet and sputtered in fury.

"Oakey-dokey…" Rikku attempted to subtly cross over to Shinra. "Come on. Let's go play some Sphere Break. I've actually been meaning to ask you to teach me a few tricks." She took him by his arm and was just about to lead him out of the cockpit when her father spun around and grabbed her by _her_ arm. She squealed.

"Nice try, missy!" he growled. "But you're a part of this family, too!"

She stared up at him, horrified by his sudden display of fatherly authority. In Paine's mind, however, it was long overdue.

She chuckled under her breath as Shinra bolted out of the cockpit, and as she walked towards Yuna, she gestured that they should leave as well. Yuna put up no argument.

And as for Buddy… he would have left, too, but he was still clutching Brother in a tight bear hug, too afraid to let go. Doing so might risk the safety of his first and foremost leader – Brother's father.

"What on Spira's going on in there?" Yuna asked in bewilderment as soon as they were safely outside in the corridor.

Paine smirked. "Your uncle has determined it's time to mend fences. He said that, listening to your song at the concert, he realized he needed to talk things out with Brother and Rikku, the same way Spira needs to unify itself."

Yuna felt a smile brighten his face. "You mean… they're in there right now… actually _dealing_ with their issues?"

"About time, isn't it?" Paine agreed.

Yuna laughed, and then tilted her head at the sphere hunter in wonder. "So… who taught you to speak Al Bhed? Gippal?"

Paine smiled again and nodded. "He _definitely_ got me interested. When it was the four of us… we taught each other a lot. With them, I realized… the only _real_ way to expand your horizons was to open yourself up. Get involved with the outside world. Let it shape and affect you. That's the only way to change."

"And did Gippal's lessons help?" Yuna asked.

Paine considered that for a moment, and nodded. "But he wasn't the only one." She stared at Yuna for a moment, very intently. "I've learned a lot… Being a part of the Gullwings. And I… I swore I would never make friends again… after what happened two years ago when Nooj…" _When Nooj tried to kill us._ Paine closed her eyes, blinking past the memory. When she opened them again, Yuna was watching her understandingly. "I want to thank you, Yuna. You and Rikku… gave me something I thought I lost that day… during Operation Mi'ihen."

Yuna didn't say anything. She couldn't think of how.

But Paine didn't need her to. Instead, she held up the crimson sphere that Maroda had given her. "This is the tenth one. With it, we can break past the seal and into the Den of Woe. I…" She hesitated for a moment, looking down. But then… she opened her eyes determinedly. "I get that Spira needs rescuing. But there's a part of my past that I feel I _have_ to stare at in the face."

"Of course," Yuna acknowledged quietly. "The road ends at the Calm Lands. There are no more people who need to be ferried out of the Thunder Plains. We can make a quick detour to Mushroom Rock Road, if you feel like you have to."

"I do," Paine nodded. "And I really appreciate this, Yuna."

"What can I say?" she smiled sheepishly. "We owe you _that_ much, for dragging you pointlessly all over Spira in the beginning. We really irritated you back then, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Paine smiled herself. "I just wanted to find spheres. You and Rikku kept getting distracted. It wasn't pleasant."

"Look how far we've come," Yuna whispered.

"Let's not stop," Paine suggested.

"Not until we save Spira," the Summoner agreed.

**ooooooo**

Quite some time later, the two Gullwings cautiously made their way back into the cockpit. It was a lot quieter now than it had been when they had left, and, upon entering, they discovered Buddy, Brother, and Rikku all slumping down in their individual chairs in obvious exhaustion. And Cid was towering over them looking mighty pleased with himself. It was quite a comical sight to behold.

"You okay?" Yuna asked, sympathetically moving over to stand next to the dejected Rikku.

She waved a hand. "I'll be fine." There was something about the way she spoke. It sounded like she was nearing complete shock.

Yuna smiled. "You're lucky. Some of us don't have this chance to talk with our fathers."

"Ooh, Yunie…" the Al Bhed turned to her cousin in compassion. "I'm sorry." She threw her arms around the Summoner, and then let her go. Getting up, she walked over to Cid and threw her arms around him. Then she turned, walked over to Brother, and ultimately threw her arms around him as well.

Paine took a step forward. "Stop that!"

"Right…" Rikku rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Okay. Where are we going next? The Farplane?"

Cid started at that. "What? The Farplane? What?"

Everyone ignored him.

And Yuna shook her head. "No. We have to make another detour."

"To where?" Buddy asked.

Yuna regarded them all very somberly for a long time before she finally replied. "The Den of Woe."

**ooooooo**


	53. Into the Den of Woe

**ooooooo**

Mushroom Rock Road was cold the following morning. And the atmosphere, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all noticed as they walked over it, was sizzling with incessant activity. Everyone seemed to have some kind of distraction – and even those with absolutely _nothing_ to do at all managed to occupy their time at least with, if nothing else, physical exercise.

The Youth League looked more like a military camp that day than ever before. It was unsettling, and as the Gullwings stood watching in the midst of it, their discouragement quickly returned to them.

"We don't have time for the Youth League to play foully!" Rikku grumbled miserably. "This isn't right! We should just leave, go to the Farplane, and deal with this all later!"

"You're forgetting," Yuna quietly interrupted. "We have to go to the Den of Woe first."

"Right," Rikku slouched even more than usual. "I didn't forget, Yunie. I was trying to get _you_ to forget." She glanced glumly towards Paine. "You _sure_ 'bout this?"

Paine smiled softly. "Yeah. It's time for me to face my past." A gust of wind swept around them, and Rikku had to push her hair out of her face. She didn't look at all happy.

"Breaking into that cave seemed like fun at the time," she admitted reluctantly. "But now that we're actually going to go do it… It makes a difference, you know?"

"You nervous?" Paine asked casually.

"Yeah," Rikku's tone grew biting. "The way I heard it, people have lost their minds inside that cave. Don't ask _me_ if I'm nervous!"

The sphere hunter nodded understandingly. "I know. Me too." The truth was… Paine was _more_ than nervous. She was scared senseless, and it was all she could do not to show that on her face. Two years had passed, and she was finally returning to the place where it had all began! Words could not describe that kind of fear, and she knew that… if Yuna hadn't been there, clearly resolved on going inside… she wouldn't have been able to go on alone.

For Yuna, however, it was not the cave that worried her… yet. Because at that particular moment, they were still in Youth League Headquarters. There was nothing to harm them there, but for the pain of watching the men and women practice combat exercises and ready weaponry and armor.

If _this_ was what came of heart wrenching concert performances… than Spira was in worse trouble than she had originally thought.

Fortunately, however, _that_ wasn't the case after all.

"Lady Yuna!"

Turning around, the Gullwings saw Elma running towards them, waving with a smile on her lips. She was the first to have acknowledged the Summoner's presence – for everyone else proved too caught up in their own activities – and she looked simply ecstatic.

"Hi, Elma," Yuna said politely when the girl reached them. She then tried to casually gesture towards all the commotion along the road. "What's all this?"

Elma was beaming. "This is Commander Lucil's doing! Isn't it great?"

Yuna wasn't quite sure she followed, and together, she, Rikku, and Paine all stared at the other woman in confusion as the commander in question calmly walked up behind her.

"Lady Yuna," she seemed pleased by the Summoner's presence. "Your concert was quite amazing. Thanks to you, our conflicts with New Yevon might finally be resolved peacefully."

"Peacefully?" Paine asked, sounding skeptical. She eyed the crowd. "You call this peace?"

"Oh!" Elma's hands abashedly covered her mouth. "Did no one tell you?"

"Tell us what?" Rikku demanded. Elma quickly jumped to respond, but stopped short when Lucil calmly held up her hand.

She smiled understandingly at Yuna. "Forgive us. Everything has been so hectic lately, and moving by so quickly. Even though the unanimous decision is for peace in Spira, too many of our youth have spent too long gathering up more and more energy for a fight. And now… that opportunity has been taken from them, and they don't know what to do with all that pent up energy."

Elma's excitement wouldn't allow her to remain quiet any longer. She bounced on the balls of her feet. "We're gonna have a battle tournament to blow off steam! You know? Fight in a friendly competition!"

For a moment, none of the Gullwings could speak.

And then, the sudden relief that flooded over them was like a sudden touch of sunlight after an eternity in darkness. Yuna's face blossomed into a radiant smile. "You mean, that's all that's going on here? Just a tournament?"

"Regulated, constructive aggression to vent unwanted hostility and reduce high stress levels!" Elma chirped gleefully.

Paine nodded approvingly. "Sounds like fun."

"For some, it will be," Lucil nodded, solemnly. "For others… it's just another step leading them upwards to something greater."

"What do you mean?" Rikku asked with a frown.

Lucil sighed. "You have to understand that, two years ago, the arrival of an Eternal Calm changed _everything_. With Sin's defeat, _much_ of Spira's youth lost not only their mortal enemy, but their very _purpose_ in life. So many of us, myself included, felt lost, and had no place or direction to walk in. With the Youth League, we found a purpose. And for awhile, things were good again.

"But something happened over time. The power we hoped to use for good intoxicated us. All of us. We came so close to turning ourselves into a mindless band of thugs living only for violence. That kind of power destroys rather than creates. It is meaningless. We were no better than Sin." She shook her head miserably, and Yuna understood what she was saying.

"A new spiral in Spira is in danger of forming," she observed. "With the Eternal Calm, there came a small bit of confusion. But it grew into New Yevon, and the Youth League, and there was order again. But now that confusion is back, and it _could_ turn into utter chaos."

"I suppose there can be no real understanding without a little bit of confusion first," Lucil allowed. "But the Youth League was founded to search for spheres of our history. Because our past is the foundation for our future. A future where our children will never have to lift a sword. That is why we look to such a tournament here and now. If we get out our vehemence once and for all, we can leave it behind."

"I hope so," Yuna said quietly. For Lucil's words sounded appealing. There was nothing that she wanted to see more than a future where children like Wakka and Lulu's little Vidina could be raised in safety and comfort. Such a thing was worth the world to achieve.

"Come on, you guys!" Rikku suddenly waved Paine and Yuna towards the trail away from camp, and started immediately skipping down it herself.

Paine watched her go with a baffled frown. "In a hurry now, are you?"

Rikku spun around with a nod. "Yeah! You heard Lucil! Our past is the foundation to our future! Let's get to that cave, put it behind us, and move on! There's nothing to wait for anymore! Come on!" She started down the trail again rather enthusiastically. "No risk, no reward!"

Yuna smiled. "She's getting caught up in the moment… probably to suppress as much of her apprehension as possible."

"Well, she's right about one thing," Paine quietly commented. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can put it behind us." She started after the Al Bhed.

And Yuna turned apologetically towards Lucil and Elma. "Please excuse us. We have some unfinished business of our own." The two women nodded – though uncomprehendingly – and watched in silent confusion as the Gullwings hastened away.

It didn't take them long at all to make their way down into the gorge. And for the first time, upon arriving at the sealed entrance of the cave, no one was there to meet them. They were alone, and everything seemed silent.

Memories whispered in Paine's ears, and it was all she could do to shake them away. Even still, the closer they drew to the cave, the more apprehension she grew to possess. It was suffocating.

Rikku's "moment" had left, and now she was once again fidgety as they approached the brass seal. Each one of its ten bronze bars with their empty slots stretched out from its center like a blooming flower with long, thin, withering petals. They were hard. Cold. And they spoke of death.

Paine hesitated, and Yuna looked back at her understandingly. None of them _wanted_ to enter that cave. The seal had been placed there for a reason, after all. And there was a reason for why it had been given its name. Woe. Instinct told each of them that it was _imperative_ they leave.

But… the right choices weren't made by instinct. _Wise_ choices were. But what was wise and what was right were not always the same… Right choices stemmed from the heart. And for once in her life… Yuna knew which choice was right. As did Paine and Rikku. The time was now.

Taking deep breaths, all the while struggling not to choke on her fiercely beating heart, Paine walked up to the entrance. Carrying ten spheres on one belt would have been an awful lot – but she was only in possession of four. Yuna carried three others on _her_ belt, and Rikku three on _hers_.

They had divided the spheres amongst themselves and were now sharing the burden. As they were sharing the burden of Paine's history. It felt good to the sphere hunter to have such support. She wouldn't have traded it for anything. With Yuna and Rikku… _anything_ was possible. _Anything_ could be faced. She hoped.

Paine found herself pulling the spheres from her belt and placing them in the empty slots of the seal's metal bars.

One sphere, Logos and Ormi had dropped, here in this very gorge.

One sphere, they had been given by Nooj, here in this very gorge.

One sphere, Paine had discovered in the bedroom of one of those two goons' at Chateau Leblanc.

And one sphere, Yuna had found beneath the Temple of Bevelle. That made four.

She turned, and looked over at Rikku. "Your turn."

The Al Bhed nodded and approached the Den's entrance. She cautiously placed the three spheres in her care into their individual slots as well.

One sphere from Nooj.

One sphere from Gippal.

And one sphere found, once again, in Chateau Leblanc – in its treasure room. That made seven.

Rikku turned towards Yuna and nodded her head while bounding away from the cave. She stood uncomfortably next to Paine as the Summoner carefully added the final spheres herself.

One from Leblanc.

One from Dona.

And one from Maroda.

That made ten.

The weight of the final sphere pushed down on the final bronze bar, sending it down so that it pointed towards the ground. One by one, the other bars followed suit, and once they were all aiming at the dusty earth, the seal itself jerked backwards, and tipped over. Yuna scurried away from it as it did so, and a moment later, the three companions were staring down at a toppled brassy barrier.

The cave stood wide open for them – dark… cold… but… strangely inviting. Almost as if the shadows were alive… and beckoning for them to enter.

Rikku was the first to yield. She slowly edged inside – for though instinct screamed at her to retreat, and though her fear had not been greater even when squaring off against Sin – she found that she simply could not resist.

Paine herself looked petrified. The last time she had stared into that ominous black mouth, the life she _had_ known had quite abruptly ended. Whether it would be the same this time or not, she could not tell. But her heart was beating fiercely.

_I don't want to do this! I can't do this! No!_ Gunfire echoed in her ears. Screams of anguish and terror echoed in her ears. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

And yet… here she was… following Rikku into the Den.

Yuna watched them go wordlessly. Something wasn't right. She had been in enough dangerous situations to recognize when that danger was near. They were walking headfirst into something… and she had no idea what it was.

But it had been enough to destroy the entire Crimson Squad – with only four exceptions. Which _wasn't_ very comforting.

Fearing the worst, Yuna climbed over the fallen seal, and ducked inside the cave.

It was dark and cold. But not so dark that the women couldn't see – for there were – to Yuna's utter amazement – pyreflies floating around the cavern's dismal antechamber. They illuminated the Den with a faint glow that – though allowing _some_ _slight_ visibility – just seemed to offer even more horrendous shadows.

For these were not the comforting, beautiful pyreflies of the Moonflow. _These_ tiny orbs shone in that same sickly greenish yellow light that did so many fiends upon their violent deaths. _These_ pyreflies were menacing.

Paine breathed heavily as she continued down a rocky corridor that slowly slanted farther into the ground. Rikku followed, staring at the pyreflies in wonder as they floated in slow, irregular paths through the air.

Yuna shivered. Again, she understood that something wasn't right. There were echoes here… traces… of despair. She was reminded of the void she had found herself in when trying to get out of the Farplane. She hadn't been able to move. She hadn't been able to scream. Despair had completely washed over her… nearly driving her over a brink and into insanity.

Like the Aeons…

As Yuna followed, her hands tightened nervously over her breasts. If a fiend were to attack, she would be in no position to draw her guns, but… she was so afraid.

The darkness intensified, but the visibility from the pyreflies remained. They continued to walk for what seemed like miles. It would have only been too easy for a person to lose her way…

_This was why caves are to be feared,_ Paine thought to herself as they finally found themselves nearing a dead end. _Nothing good ever comes out of them._

"Is that it?" Yuna asked. Beside her, Rikku stood fidgeting as Paine contemplated a possible answer.

"Somehow, I doubt it," she admitted. And her words proved true as the three of them turned around to retrace their steps.

For standing there, blocking their _only_ way out, was none other than Nooj himself! And behind him stood Baralai and Gippal!

A deep, suffocating breath caught in Paine's throat, and she couldn't move. Yuna stood stunned, and Rikku found herself rushing forward.

"Gippal!"

"Guys!" Paine was right behind the Al Bhed. But they hadn't gotten five feet before all three of the men simply faded. Paine jerked to a stop, sweat breaking out on her face. "What happened?" She looked around wildly, but there was no sign of any of her friends whatsoever.

"The pyreflies…" Yuna understood immediately. Rikku paused and looked back at her – in the darkness of the cave, only her mouth was really visible. The rest of her… seemed completely obscured.

"They're Unsent?" Paine felt her heart clench tightly, but Yuna shook her head.

"No." This cavern was the way Zanarkand had once been two years ago. "I've seen this before. There are places where pyreflies cling to people's memories and make them eternal." They were just memories… Yuna gazed solemnly at the sphere hunter, whose face, like Rikku's, was hidden by the shadows. "Paine. Those were the guys' memories from two years ago. Preserved by the pyreflies. They're just memories."

"Memories?" Paine scoffed at that. "Or two year old nightmares?"

A brush of wind suddenly and chillingly swept against the sphere hunter's back. And then… a man was there, quicker than Paine could move, leaning maliciously over her shoulder.

He breathed into her ear. "Older than that."

Paine scrambled away from him, letting go a strangled whimper. Rikku's head spun around and Yuna stepped forward in recognition.

_He_ was standing there, completely hidden in the shadows, with only a harsh, greenish yellow silhouette outlining his position. As if he were a ghost.

And he probably was.

Yuna slowly shook her head. "Shuyin."

The shadows moved away from his face then, so that they could all see it. And when Rikku saw, Shuyin _so_ resembled a friend of hers that she cried out and turned away in anguish.

But Shuyin ignored the Al Bhed, focusing instead on Yuna. The look in his eyes was that of hunger. A hunger that reminded the Summoner slightly of Seymour. She found herself backing away as the man stepped towards her.

"I wanted to rest forever," he told her in a chillingly calm voice. A voice that brought her heart to bleed. This was not the Shuyin she had seen in the Farplane. _This_ Shuyin actually made the other one look reasonably sane. He was shaking his head. "But the pyreflies make me relive that moment… Again. And again. And again."

He was standing directly in front of her now, and Yuna was backed against the wall. She leaned into it, the despair that emanated from Shuyin rushing inside of her so that she _wished_ the wall would just pull her inside of it and out of the world forever. His face was only inches away from hers, and she thought she could feel his breath. She closed her eyes and turned her head, feeling trapped and helpless.

And then he was gone. Yuna looked up and couldn't see him. She searched… but couldn't find him.

And then Rikku screamed, gripping her head in agony. "No! NOOO!"

Yuna started towards her in alarm. "Rikku?"

Her cousin wildly thrashed around the corridor, and then… She pulled free her two daggers and held them up savagely.

Paine cut in front of the Summoner, her heart racing faster than ever before. _This_ was it! _This_ was what had happened two years ago! Allies… comrades… _friends_! Just turning on each other for no apparent reason. _This_ was it! "Stay back!"

Shuyin reappeared several feet to Rikku's right, hovering inches off the ground like a phantom. Paine saw him and drew her sword furiously.

"You!" She charged towards him even as Rikku charged towards Yuna.

Too distracted by the girl, Yuna had no idea what happened to Paine next. Instead, all her concentration dwelled on her cousin. And as two blades came down on her, it was all that she could do to catch the Al Bhed's wrists and hold her back. For several minutes they both grappled to overpower the other, but in the end, for naught.

Because at that moment, Paine suddenly charged over and body slammed into Rikku. The Al Bhed hit the ground and the sphere hunter towered over her, ignoring Yuna, as she lifted up her sword towards the cavern's ceiling.

She furiously brought the blade down, but Rikku expertly rolled out of the way. A moment later, the two friends were locked in combat, and Yuna found that she could only watch in utter terror.

"What's happening?"

Shuyin was suddenly behind her, breathing into her ear. "You will see."

All the strength Yuna had once possessed abandoned her then, and she collapsed weakly to the ground. Above her, Rikku and Paine continued to fight, not noticing that the Summoner couldn't even hold herself up on her hands and knees anymore. Instead, she lay on her stomach, her head resting on its side as the pyreflies danced above her.

Everything grew dark.

_Everything _would_ have remained dark… But silvery glyphs on the walls around Vegnagun penetrated the shadows and dimly illuminated an enormous chamber by their radiance._

_And Vegnagun itself dominated the room with its ominous, titanic frame – with its skull of a face and scorpion shape. Never should anything so terrible _ever_ have been created in this world… But here it undeniably was. To Spira's ruin._

_Shuyin paused a moment to look up at it. And then… he worked his way up to the top it, where the machina's cranium dipped downwards into a small bowl-shaped hollow. There was a piece of equipment there… that resembled an organ. And Shuyin knew… _this_ was what controlled Vegnagun._

_He eased up to it… Nothing could have pleased him more in regard to a control panel for the weapon. He knew keyboards. He understood them. He had played them at Lenne's concerts._

_Lenne…_

_He fell upon the organ and began to play. And as soon as his dexterous fingers weighed down on the keys they glowed in brilliant hues, even as streams of colorful light shot up around Vegnagun in response to them. It was exactly how vibrations would have shot up into the pipes surrounding any other organ. And the music that came from it all was chilling… but intoxicating._

_Shuyin played as he had not been able to play for weeks. He poured his entire soul into that keyboard, letting every emotion he had felt in that time drip out into its song._

_In his mind, he saw Lenne… shadowed in a reddish glow… lying dead. He would _not_ allow that to happen. Vegnagun would help. Vegnagun would save her._

_All around him, the silvery glyphs on the walls grew brighter, and Vegnagun slowly came to life. The colors of the keys he pressed reflected against his face, and he closed his eyes, bowing his head, as the weapon's cannon slowly grew active. Its red spheres grew radiant, even as blue electricity crackled around it. Mixed together, they nearly seemed white._

_But then… behind him… back on the ground level… a woman suddenly emerged from the darkness. She ran up to the foot of the weapon, throwing her arms out urgently to her sides – so that she was shaped like a cross._

"_You must stop!"_

_Her cry rang out clearly and strongly through the music, and Shuyin heard it well. For after all… their songs always wove into one… when she sang and when he played. He would hear her no matter where they were._

_And at the sound of her voice, he grew still in disbelief. A part of him couldn't believe that she was there… while another part of him yearned for her embrace more than any other addict could possibly yearn for any other drug._

_He turned from the organ and leaned over the side of the machina, gazing down at her in want… but also in fear. For if she were here… than she was in as much danger as he was in. Possibly more, simply because of her rank._

_Presently, she stared up at him in slight alarm – but mostly in urgency and in love. "That's enough."_

_He considered. But then the sounds of approaching soldiers caught both of their attention. Lenne was being hunted, and she knew it, too. She lowered her arms, turning to glance behind in fear._

_The soldiers were gaining on them._

_And Shuyin could not remain at such a distance. He practically vaulted off the machina, jumping down to meet her and they embraced. At the same instant, two spotlights flashed to life, nearly blinding them both as they rained down over them, trapping them like mice. And behind them, the gigantic cannon continued to glow threateningly._

_Even the mere _barrel _of the weapon was taller than they were. Lenne glanced at it for a moment, and then seemed to come to a decision. When she looked back up into Shuyin's gaze, there was an acceptance in hers that brought tears to her eyes. But she did not shed them. Not yet._

_Shuyin turned his head and saw the soldiers now. The poured into the room, some of them kneeling, some of them standing, _all_ of them holding up their guns. And as they readied those weapons, a look of pure hatred darkened Shuyin's face and gleamed furiously in his eyes._

_Never before had he ever felt such hate. And it burned in his heart… and in his memories._

Yuna's eyes opened and she looked up in horror. Her heart was racing in her breast as her strength slowly returned to her. It _did_ returned to her… but by _far_ too slowly.

For Shuyin was kneeling beside her. His hand reached down and gently brushed her hair. She trembled at his touch, and a moment later, he was pulling her to her feet. She couldn't fight him as he turned her towards him and stroked her cheek.

Numbly, she realized that there were several soldiers hovering around them, glowing dimly in the shadows of the cave. And all of them had their weapons aimed at her and at Shuyin!

But _he_ was ignoring them.

Trembling, she shook her head and pulled away from him. "Stay back…"

He watched her with a half smile – as if he were amused by her, but trying to appear critical. "This is our story, Lenne."

Her heart couldn't take this. She drew both her guns and aimed them desperately at his head. "Don't make me say this again. I. Am not. Lenne!"

As she cocked the guns, silently praying she wouldn't be forced to shoot the man who so closely resembled her Guardian, the soldiers aiming their rifles around her disappeared.

And Shuyin laughed before fading away himself. A moment later, Rikku and Paine were both there, standing directly in Yuna's line of fire.

"No!" She dropped her guns on the ground, stumbling backwards in anguish. "STOP!" Her hands reached up to clutch her face, even as her voice echoed around the chamber.

The pyreflies floating around the room suddenly grew still, as if affected by her cry. And then… they radiated brightly. They were… so _terribly_ bright. But once that light dissipated, blanketing the cavern in darkness yet again, Rikku and Paine both fell to their knees, gripping their heads as well.

"Rikku…?" Yuna edged carefully towards her cousin. "Rikku!"

The Al Bhed looked up at her with tears in her eyes. "Yunie… Shuyin is…" She shook her head and closed her eyes in despair.

Paine slowly pushed up to her feet, and then stumbled towards a wall upon which she rested. "When he died a thousand years ago, his feelings became intertwined with the pyreflies… creating this apparition."

"Apparition?" Rikku stared over at her as if she had lost her mind. "That's not an apparition!"

"It's a nightmare," Yuna agreed, kneeling down in order to help her cousin to her feet.

Rikku was trembling. "He must have had some serious regrets for his feelings to act on their own like that."

"This is what destroyed the Squad," Paine let out in agonizing realization. "Despair strong enough to crush the minds of those it touches. What just happened to us moments ago happened to them, too. Here. They felt Shuyin's despair. They went mad, and they died. They killed each other."

She sounded so close to the breaking point…

The pyreflies once again summoned up the images of Nooj, Gippal, and Baralai. The three women turned towards the three men in horror as Shuyin resurfaced himself.

"But these three lived," he said venomously, before laughing. "So… I decided to use them."

By possessing Nooj… and then manipulating them into searching for Vegnagun once more… and then finally by possessing Baralai!

Paine trembled as a new emotion swept over her. Fury. "You'll pay!" She picked up her sword and charged towards Shuyin… only to have Nooj boldly walk into her path.

Nooj. The Deathseeker. Even the memory of him didn't mind stepping in front of a brandished sword. Paine hesitated for a moment.

But then…

She was here to face her past… and overcome her memories. And what other way was there for her to do that?

She swung the sword, cleaving the illusion of her friend in two. And in doing so… she felt something within her audibly snap… bringing her the truest relief she had ever felt in the whole of her life.

Baralai was moving on Yuna. She stumbled backwards to where she had dropped her guns. Picking them up, she finally found the strength to fire. And Baralai fell. Turning, Yuna searched for her cousin.

Rikku was facing Gippal. He was advancing on her… and pushing her into a corner. There were tears in her eyes – though they could not be seen in the darkness – and she was shaking her head wretchedly back and forth.

"I… I can't…" she fell back against the wall. "Gippal…" Her heart burned as he raised his gun at her. And though she knew he was just a memory and nothing more… there was nothing she could do against it. It was Gippal, after all. She couldn't fight him.

But then… it wasn't Rikku's place to fight. These were Paine's memories. It was Paine who needed to overcome them.

She strode over to Gippal and fiercely cut him down. These memories would be a fetter chaining _her_ down no longer. She _would_ walk away from them.

As the light that had been Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal extinguished, Paine, Yuna, and Rikku were left alone in darkness. Shuyin was gone now, and Paine had a feeling he would not be returning to this cave.

Even still, she did not feel triumphant. She felt _stronger_, yes, and, more importantly, _free_. But the war was not over. Baralai still needed saving, as did Spira.

She looked down at the ground, trembling in her now-growing determination. "No one uses my friends." She glanced at Yuna. "It's time."

The Summoner nodded. "We've already wasted enough of it as it is. Let's get it over with."

The three of them made their way back out of the cave. And as they left, Paine felt herself growing stronger and freer with every step. Two years ago, she had been bound to the Den. And now… those bonds were completely severed.

It was time for her now… Time for her to focus entirely on the future. On stopping Shuyin. And on reuniting with the three closest and dearest friends that had ever been made.

**ooooooo**


	54. Maechen's Last

**ooooooo**

Buddy was waiting somewhat uneasily for them when they finally returned to the airship. His expression spoke of slight amusement… but mostly of apprehension, as if he expected to face up against some kind of intimidating impatience from them.

"What's wrong?" Rikku asked as they climbed in together.

"I don't know whether or not you guys wanted to go immediately to the Farplane," he replied, his voice somewhat thin. "But we might have to make another quick detour."

"Why?" Rikku asked, her face growing suddenly pale. "Is it because of vydran? After _everything_ we talked about earlier? I don't believe it!"

"No, Rikku!" Brother laughed – though it _was_ nervous laughter – and he rubbed the back of his head. "Cid's fine. Really. It's something else."

"That doesn't explain anything," Paine informed him, crossing her arms in impatience – _exactly_ the way he had feared she would. "We have a job to do, Bud. We can't keep allowing other things to distract us from it. Especially now."

"Right…" he tilted his head at her. "How were things in the Den of Woe…?"

Rikku's face twisted in horror at the mere _mention_ of such a memory. In her mind… she could still picture Gippal… walking towards her the way he had… with his gun drawn. It hadn't been real. A part of her understood that. But a separate part… bled because of it. "It was a nightmare." She turned almost apologetically towards Paine and Yuna. "Maybe… we _should_ take a day off. I'm… really tired. You know?"

Yuna nodded understandingly. "I know. But Rikku. Shuyin isn't going to sit around and wait for us. And I'm… I'm sure he's really tired, too."

"He hasn't been able to rest in a thousand years," Paine pointed out, stiffly lowering her arms to her sides.

Rikku hesitated. When had she gotten onto an airship full of Aurons? And with no one to back her up, either… She sighed and nodded. "Believe me, I know. But…"

"You might be able to rest on the way to Mt. Gagazet," Buddy informed casually, though his words were _hardly_ a cause for informality. The three women stared at him dumbly for several seconds.

"Mt. Gagazet?" Yuna finally asked. "What are we going _there_ for?" Not that she loathed the idea… But they really _did_ need to make to the Farplane.

Buddy turned and started deeper into the airship. "We picked up two extra passengers. They're ready to go home."

**ooooooo**

The afternoon on Mt. Gagazet was clear and unusually warm. Towards the foot of the mountain, much of the snow had melted into slush – although the embankments towards the summit remained quite deep and unaffected by the shining, radiant sun.

From the sky, everything seemed calm. The tranquility of the atmosphere, however, would ultimately prove deceptive, for the peacefulness on a set often contradicted with the growing conflict of the players.

It was no different for Kimahri and Garik. As streams of water trickled down mountain slopes, creating soft sounds that blended with the melodic chirpings of an assortment of cardinals and blue jays, the two great creatures sat still in meditation. And though one seemed entirely at ease just melting away into the majestic landscape, there was a tension within the other that was evident by his long, fine blue tail, currently twitching back and forth behind him.

_There is no meaning to this,_ he thought angrily, abruptly pushing to his feet in frustration. He glared down at Kimahri, who had not moved even a _fraction_ after this sudden disturbance. "Elder, what path should Ronso walk? Garik not know!" His voice held the traces of a whiny child inside.

Kimahri barely moved his head, but in so doing, his amber gaze still managed to fall over his companion. "Garik must be patient."

The Ronso could barely contain his disgust at such an inadequate response. He shook his head. "Garik feel hate, try to stop! But without path, hate is strong! Garik lost to hate." He crossed his arms and stared down at the elder in clear defiance. "Garik rather unleash anger than go _mad_ searching for path Garik cannot find!"

Kimahri's eyes narrowed as frustration of his own warmed through his blood. "Kimahri tell Garik many times." He gracefully rose to his feet, fighting to keep that frustration out of his voice. "Force not solve problems."

"Then what good is power Ronso receive from mountain?" Garik demanded urgently – almost childishly. "Once Ronso train to defend Yevon sacred ground. But now, Summoners not come! Ronso power go to waste!" He glowered at Kimahri, _daring_ him to say something. But the Ronso just closed his eyes and returned to meditation.

Garik watched him for a moment, most assuredly lost to his anger. And then… he leaned forward, trembling in discontent. "Kimahri true elder? Then Kimahri _answer Garik_!" But his words went ignored.

Frustrated, and unhappy with being so disregarded, Garik turned away. "Kimahri no elder." Grumbling to himself, he disappeared down the path, leaving his leader to fend for himself.

Kimahri's eyes opened in time to watch him go. And even after Garik was gone, he continued to stare down the trail that the youth had taken in sorrow.

But then… he turned his head in order to finally acknowledge the five silent observers.

For there, not more than ten yards away, stood Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, with the two young pups, Lian and Ayde, directly behind them. They all looked slightly uncomfortable, for they had all witnessed the entire scene, and knew that things on Mt. Gagazet were not entirely well.

And Kimahri was not entirely happy to see them. As they started over towards him, he found himself looking away. "Yuna see Kimahri's shame."

"Don't be ashamed!" Yuna felt her heart tighten at the sight of her strong, impenetrable Guardian thus humbled. It was in itself disheartening.

Rikku bounded forward as well – for finding Kimahri in need of encouragement himself liberated her from her own feelings of fatigue and despair. For people like the Al Bhed, the best sort medicine came in the form of supporting those she cared about. It rejuvenating her spirits as nothing else in the world could ever have. "Yeah! Yunie's right, you know! Forget about that ogre!"

Kimahri was only _slightly_ comforted as his gaze poured over the two pups. "Kimahri is elder. Kimahri _must_ lead way to Ronso future."

The pups glanced down in guilt, before Lian stepped slightly in front of his friend and brother, ready to take the blame. "We caused Elder Kimahri much worry. But we could not find a way to restore elder's horn."

"We are sorry," Ayde added.

But how could Kimahri, after struggling to handle such gruff defiance inside Garik, _possibly_ be upset with the two well-meaning little explorers? "No apologies. Lost Lian and Ayde trouble Kimahri more than lost horn."

The pups stared up at him in awe, having honestly expected a crueler welcome from the Ronso.

Instead, Kimahri smiled. "Did Lian and Ayde enjoy seeing vast Spira?"

Ayde practically jumped forward in uncharacteristic enthusiasm – he was probably just excited for getting off so lightly after having run away from Gagazet. "Yes, elder! Ayde did not want to come home."

Lian shook his head, grinning widely – as a pup, his smile looked more genuine than Kimahri's, and less like a twisted grimace. "Lian felt that way, too. We saw Today's Spira. With our own eyes! And we thought deeply. We think about path to Spira's future."

It was what they had _all_ been thinking about lately. The Ronso… and the Gullwings… Finding that path to the future. That was all that seemed to matter anymore. Moving forwards instead of backwards. Growing instead of withering. It was easily one of the foremost concerns in Spira. Especially now, by Paine. Especially by Yuna.

"We decided," Ayde continued. "We wish to journey again and meet many people. We return to Gagazet to tell elder. We will go again."

Kimahri tilted his head as a thought suddenly struck him. The words these children were speaking…

Once, Kimahri had observed that Lian and Ayde "bear Ronso future." And now he was beginning to understand that, although they were still pups, they understood the "path" that needed to be taken better than anyone else ever had. Including the elder himself.

Satisfied, he nodded. "Long journey teach Lian and Ayde more than icy mountain can."

If the pups were surprised, or even excited, by Kimahri's blessing, they did not show it. Instead, they gazed up at him, looking more grown up at that moment than Garik _ever_ had. They nodded, and then turned to start back down the mountain for the second time in their lives.

Rikku watched them go in astonishment. "So they're just gonna _leave_? After we brought them all this way? What was the point?" She looked at Paine, as if fearing what _her_ response was going to be to such a seeming waste of time.

But the sphere hunter just smiled and crossed her arms. _She_ understood. Sometimes, it was important going home again, even if it _were_ only for a minute. It refreshed, and it strengthened. It gave the wanderer a hope that made it easier to face that future – as uncertain as it always was.

Yuna stepped towards her Guardian. "Kimahri?"

The Ronso nodded, turning to look down the trail that Garik had just taken not even five minutes ago. "Kimahri decide." He started down it himself.

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all hesitated and looked at each other apprehensively. They knew that they really didn't have the time to spare… but their curiosity was overpowering. They hastened to follow the elder.

He led them to a small clearing where, a moment later, Garik emerged from the tree line. He had sensed their approach, and would not be made to wait for them to come to him. He was not that passive.

Instead, his gaze passed quickly over Yuna and darkened in disfavor. He glowered insolently at the elder – as if blaming _him_ for the Summoner's presence. And then he spoke with youthful obstinacy. "Garik not listen unless Kimahri speak of Ronso future! Kimahri unable to give answer he not have! Kimahri not elder!"

The Gullwings glanced at each other in concern as Kimahri silently strode up towards his challenger. As a rule, he didn't like fighting his own people. Even when they treated him like dirt, he generally avoided physical confrontations.

Once, Yuna had seen otherwise. Two years ago, he had reached the point where he simply couldn't hold off from fighting. Right now… he looked startling close to reaching that point once again.

For a moment, no one moved. Kimahri stood as tall as he could – but as Ronso went, he _was_ rather small. Garik towered over him, and obviously didn't appreciate his tiny elder's sudden display of dominance. Looking down at someone that much smaller was… to Garik, at least… provoking.

The Ronso snarled. And then… he threw a powerful fist right into Kimahri's face. The force sent the elder stumbling backwards, and Kimahri's knees buckled under him for a moment, so that he was kneeling in the snow. Garik looked down at him and laughed triumphantly.

"Ah!" Rikku covered her mouth as Paine stepped forward indignantly.

Yuna herself would not stand for such violence. Her face grim, her fists white, she silently started towards Garik tersely.

"Oh," Rikku watched her cousin nervously. "Now she's mad."

But Kimahri wouldn't wait for his charge – for that was how he still often considered Yuna – to come defend him. Instead, he looked up at Garik severely. "So be it. Kimahri teach Garik how to use force!"

Now, _every_ Ronso understood the basics of fighting. They were, after all, giant, _powerful_ creatures practically _born_ as warriors. But even then… there was a _huge_ difference in being capable of swinging a Herculean fist… and actually understanding real technique.

And what Kimahri lacked in size, he _more_ than made up for in technique.

Getting up, he plowed towards Garik with a speed and grace the younger Ronso could not have _possibly_ been prepared for. In a matter of seconds, the elder had his adversary lying on his back in the snow, completely dazed.

There was _indeed_ a reason why Kimahri was an elder… and Garik was not.

"Hiyaaa!" Rikku was thrilled, and she enthusiastically threw her fist out in front of her, dancing gleefully on the balls of her feet. She glared down at Garik – who was only now beginning to recover from the assault – with a haughty smile. "Serves ya right!"

Garik shook his head and looked up at the elder bitterly. "Kimahri use force? 'Force not solve problems!' Kimahri _still_ have no answers!"

"Silence!" Kimahri roared.

Everyone grew still – even the celebrating Rikku. They all stared at the Ronso elder in utter shock – Garik especially. It was a rare thing indeed for Kimahri to raise his voice. Only Yuna wasn't made completely uncomfortable by the sound.

The Ronso shook his head, staring down at Garik critically. "Garik not think for himself. Must come _beg_ Kimahri for answer!" His expression turned to one of disgust. "Garik not even a pup!"

The insult rang out across the mountain for all to hear. And the Ronso in question had never in his life been more astonished.

"What?"

Kimahri crossed his arms. "Lian and Ayde make long journey. Find own path." They didn't sit still, waiting around for someone to give them their answers. They sought them out headfirst.

And for once Garik could not help but consider the elder's words. "So… Garik must settle Garik problems?"

Kimahri exhaled, still frustrated, but easing back into his regular temperament. "Wrong. Garik not alone." He leaned forward to offer the Ronso a hand back up onto his feet, all the while stressing his next few words. "Let us _think_… Together. Kimahri is elder."

Garik huffed uncertainly. "One Ronso problem is problem for all? All Ronso problem is problem for one?"

Kimahri nodded. "Pups set example. And one day, Ronso path _will_ be clear. This Kimahri believes."

Garik glanced at him, and for the next several minutes, they were able to look each other in the eye without any sign of animosity.

**ooooooo**

A short while later, Yuna found herself standing alone atop a snowy precipice on the other side of the mountain, gazing out over the decaying city of Zanarkand. From here, she could tell that the place had been abandoned by its tourists. But even still… that brought her no comfort.

Everyone was looking to the future now. Wakka and Lulu with their baby. Rikku with the Gullwings. Paine. Kimahri. And she knew… she was _trying_ to as well. But sometimes… she didn't know whether or not her future had anything in it that was even _worth_ looking forward to.

_I get so confused… _There was no doubt about that. She hoped and believed that her dream would come true one day. But what if it didn't? What had she to look forward to then?

Sighing, she turned away from the city and saw Kimahri watching her as he used to when she was younger. With his back straight, his arms crossed, and his power displayed solidly for everyone to see. He was, in his own way, as much of a mountain as Gagazet itself was. That had always comforted the Summoner.

"Where's everyone else?" she asked, walking up to him.

"Garik show Rikku statue of Kimahri," the Ronso replied, and Yuna supposed that Paine was with them. She smiled.

"A statue of you, huh?" She tilted her head playfully. "Complete with its broken horn?"

Kimahri stared at her seriously, though Yuna knew him well enough to know that his heart was light. "Garik say horn should be full. Kimahri disagree."

"I'm glad," Yuna told him. "I always did like your broken horn."

For a moment, they were quiet, enjoying their silent companionship. And then Kimahri unfolded his arms and started towards the edge of the cliff.

"Scholar journeyed to sacred mountain," he said, looking back at her. "Scholar wanted to see Zanarkand."

Yuna frowned. "Scholar?" She started forward, shaking her head. "Do you mean Maechen?"

Kimahri nodded. "Scholar speak to Kimahri. Speak of one last story intended for Yuna. One thousand years ago, said scholar, he walked city streets of Zanarkand."

Yuna backed away in amazement as her breath caught in her throat. She stared from Kimahri to the ruins behind him in disbelief. Maechen was an Unsent? He had lived a thousand years ago in Zanarkand?

Questions began to burn through her mind faster than she could reasonably think them. She jumped towards her Guardian, catching his enormous hand in both of hers. "Please, Kimahri! Where is he now?"

The elder of the Ronso stared down at her somberly… even for him. "Now… scholar has accepted death. He has gone to Farplane."

So great was Yuna's disappointment and grief that all she could do was look down, stunned. A window that had been open to her all along without her ever realizing it had suddenly been slammed shut in her face. It wasn't fair!

Maechen had been dead all this time… But now he was gone. And suddenly… everything about him now made sense. If only she had seen it earlier.

Tears prickled in her eyes, and she looked back up at the Ronso pleadingly. "Please, Kimahri. Tell me everything he told you."

The elder hesitated, but only for a moment. When that moment had passed, his expression softened, and he nodded his head one single time.

**ooooooo**


	55. Answers

**Disclaimer:** Yeah. Can't believe I made it this far, but it still doesn't mean the plotline belongs to me. And, oh yeah. A part of this chapter is a little reminiscent of _Dante's Inferno_. That's an epic poem that I can't say belongs to me, either. None of it is mine! With that said, please enjoy! And don't forget to review!

**ooooooo**

The Celsius was in the sky, flying over Spira. There was still plenty of daylight left, and rarely were the days ever so beautiful as this. Unfortunately, the weather's temperament was not infectious.

Yuna had not spoken a word upon entering the airship. Instead, she had made straight for the loft in the cabin, without bothering to even greet the other Gullwings. And now, as Paine and Rikku stood in the cockpit with Brother, Buddy, and Shinra, they were all preoccupied with concern for her.

"It's not like she's never behaved this way before," Rikku said softly. "Two years ago-" No. That was a bad comparison. Two years ago, Yuna had believed she was destined to die young. Better not to dwell on _that_ particular memory.

"Do you think we should return her to Besaid?" Buddy asked. "And give her a little bit of a rest?"

"No," Paine shook her head. "That's the last thing she'd want. She _wants_ to go to the Farplane and protect Spira from Shuyin."

"So how do we get to the Farplane?" Brother demanded. "Ever since the Guado returned to Guadosalam, access to the glen has been cut off."

"Repair work?" Paine smiled. But then it was back to business. "No. We go through one of the holes in one of the Temples, remember?"

"Which one?" Shinra asked.

"Djose," Rikku suggested. "We know that one goes to the Farplane for sure." There was no question about that. And so, Brother stepped over to the pilot's chair, turned off autopilot, and began guiding the ship back south.

Meanwhile, Rikku and Paine started towards the cabin. It was time to figure out what was wrong with Yuna. And what it was exactly that she had on her mind.

She was sitting up on her bed, leaning against the headboard with her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped around them. She had a faraway look on her face, and barely acknowledged Paine and Rikku as the two of them sat down beside her.

"What's wrong?" the Al Bhed asked in concern.

For a moment, it seemed like Yuna hadn't heard. And even then… it _was_ possible that she honestly hadn't. For when she spoke, it was not in answer to her cousin's question at all. "It really is no wonder that he can't find rest."

"Who?" Paine asked gently. "Shuyin?"

Yuna nodded. "When they killed him, they didn't even have the decency to send his body back home. They just… tossed it away." She shook her head now, regretfully. "His spirit spent a thousand years bound inside an unmarked tomb where… the pyreflies fed off his memories. Only two years ago was he able to escape it, clinging to the mind of another."

Paine's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Wait… You mean… Shuyin's body was buried inside the Den of Woe?"

"Maechen said his name was lost to history," Yuna reflected quietly. "But his story wasn't. When the Yevonites of Bevelle first uncovered it, they probably just shrugged it off as unimportant. But then they must have discovered the Den. And they must have been compelled to investigate. But the investigations probably didn't go so well. And Kinoc must have considered whatever information the pyreflies possessed to be extremely vital to Yevon's future. Obtaining that information was, to him, worth creating an entire Squad of insignificant, expendable candidates who could do all the work for him. And once they gave him all the information that he wanted, the plan was to have them killed."

Astonishment brightened Paine's eyes. "I don't-" _This was unbelievable! _And yet… it made so much sense. If Kinoc had the entire Squad searching the cave for answers… _someone_ was bound to make it out alive. And whoever did would be killed… leaving Kinoc as the sole possessor of all Shuyin's knowledge about Vegnagun.

"Jerk…" Rikku grumbled.

"How do you know all this?" Paine asked, staring at Yuna in wonder.

She presently had her eyes closed. "Maechen told Kimahri some of it. And when Kimahri told me… it wasn't that hard to work out the rest."

"Maechen…?" Rikku shook her head. "What was he-?"

"He was returning to Zanarkand," Yuna answered softly. "Where he lived one thousand years ago." Rikku and Paine could only stare at her in shock, feeling literally struck silent. Yuna continued. "He met her once. You remember that sphere we found in the ruins above Mt. Gagazet?"

"It was just a piece of junk," Paine reminded her, but Yuna shook her head.

"No it wasn't," she said. "It was Maechen, a thousand years ago. He got a ticket to Lenne's concert. He was able to shake her hand after the performance. Kimahri said… that he recognized my handshake. For a moment… he thought that _I_ was Lenne."

"Yunie…" Rikku whispered as if in pain.

The Summoner barely heard her. "After so many years, Maechen lost track of time. And he forgot so much. Little by little, it came back to him. He remembered hunting for Shuyin's unmarked grave on Mushroom Rock Road… but in vain. And the more that he remembered… the more tired he became. He wanted rest so he… let go. And now I'll never get to talk to him again." Tears formed in Yuna's eyes. There was so much she would have asked him! About Zanarkand, mostly. And what it had been like to live there.

_I want to feel close to _him_ again… even if the only way is to listen to the stories of his home. I just… I just…_ Yuna freed her legs so that she could look down at her hand. It was the same hand that had once been Lenne's. Though _that_ was probably only because of the dressphere. Yuna didn't know. So many questions had been answered, but the truth was… nothing had been answered at all.

And a part of Yuna feared that… they never would be.

**ooooooo**

The Celsius landed outside of Djose, and together, the Gullwings all made their way outside. From the bridges, they gazed as a group towards the electric Temple, trepidation building up more and more inside them all with each passing second. It was all they could do to keep that fear off their faces.

Now was the time to be strong. Now was the time to protect Spira. It _would_ be now, they knew, or never.

Though Brother seemed to wish it would be never. He glanced uncertainly at Yuna. "You really going in?"

She couldn't bring herself to look away from the Temple. Beneath it… there would be such despair. Whether it would be as strong as it had been in the Den of Woe, Yuna had no idea, but… she knew she must be prepared for it. There was no turning back. "Yup."

"The final showdown with Sin…" Rikku whispered, thinking back to her father's words two years ago. "There's no way _this_ can be worse than _that_."

"Right!" A wide grin broke across Brother's face and a wave of energetic enthusiasm passed through him. If they could defeat Sin… they could defeat _anything_! He pointed at the Temple. "The time for invasion has come! Sphere hunter team Gullwi-" He stopped short with a frown. "Your Friendly Neigh…" He scratched the top of his head in confusion. Yuna was finally able to look at him in amusement as he turned towards Rikku. "What are we called now?"

How inspiring.

Shinra looked up at his captain, and Yuna felt certain he was scoffing. "Does it really matter?"

Brother shrugged. "Good point." He lifted himself towards the sky, holding out his arms and flapping them up and down absurdly. "Surging, Flapping, Neighboring Gullwings… Attack!"

None of the Gullwings could help it. Despite everything, they chuckled good-naturedly at the captain's outlandish performance. In a strange, laughable way, the humor raised their morale – which was, in times like these, more vital than any other form of nourishment.

"Right," Yuna nodded, turning towards Paine and Rikku. "Let's go."

"The Gullwings' last mission," Shinra observed. "Let's-"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Buddy interrupted, turning towards the boy with his hands on his hips in disapproval. "None of this 'last mission' stuff, you hear?"

Yuna glanced uncertainly at Shinra while he looked up at Buddy. This was the boy's first real struggle, she reminded herself. The rest of them had all stared death in the face before, but Shinra… Looking at the world around them, it was hard to imagine that, somewhere, Shuyin was preparing to use Vegnagun to destroy it. But by this time tomorrow, _everything_ might be gone. Spira might be dead.

And while, to most of them, this possibility was easy to overlook and cast aside – for no one ever _truly_ expected the world to end – Shinra was unusually intelligent. It had never once occurred to Yuna, before now, how this whole struggle might be weighing down on his particular shoulders.

He shrugged, looking down. "For me… it probably will be." He glanced at Yuna, and despite his mask, she could feel him growing uncharacteristically shy. He shuffled towards her, and then paused. "Be careful." A moment later, he had his arms wrapped tightly around her back.

Yuna started in astonishment… but then she relaxed, and hugged the boy back. "I'll be fine." She looked down at him as he pulled away from her, and smiled reassuringly. "We're just going to talk, after all."

_We're just going to talk._ To Yuna's amazement, she found confidence in this. The words were meant to reassure Shinra. Yuna didn't need them to reassure herself anymore. She nodded.

"Hey…" Brother stepped forward, looking slightly envious. "Save the huggy-huggies for your triumphant return! Yes!" He held up a hand to his mouth, stifling a quiet giggle.

For a moment, they stood together in quiet camaraderie. As a team… they had traveled so far… for so long. They were like family. A part of Yuna felt saddened… that they would be parting company now… for God only knew how long…

"Um," Buddy scratched the side of his head, and then stepped forward with a smile. "Hey! Look what the boys thought up!"

Yuna, Rikku, and Paine all glanced over at them in surprise as Brother's eyes lit up jubilantly.

"That's right!" he cried out.

A moment later, the three of them – Brother, Buddy, and Shinra – were all standing in an awkward pose with their arms out and their expressions light. They started chanting exuberantly.

"Go, go, go Gullwings!"

The girls were chuckling again, and the guys were elated that they had done so well. To each of them, these three women were amazing. And making any one of them smile was worth the whole of the world.

"It's time, Gullwings," Yuna stated, once and for all.

"Let's rock!" the others agreed.

Five minutes later, the three of them were inside the Temple, making their way through the Cloister of Trials and towards the Chamber of the Fayth. The path was familiar, for all three of them had done this before. It did not take them long at all to find themselves approaching the great chasm that burrowed down into the heart of the planet.

Once there, the three of them slowed their paces ever so slightly, watching the hole carefully. It was impossible to forget the last time they had been in this room. With Ixion… Parts of them almost expected the Aeon to jump back out at them once more. But it didn't… and everything remained quiet… for which they were grateful.

By the time they reached the edge of the chasm, Rikku and Paine both glanced at Yuna in concern. Would she be able to do it now? Did she have the strength?

Yes.

"Let's end this," Yuna suggested, repeating the words spoken two years ago by Sir Jecht to his son. And neither of her companions objected.

They began their descent into the chasm. The hole dropped down vertically into darkness – it was impossible to tell how far it would be to fall. They faced the side of it, shuffling down as carefully as they could manage. After the initial marble of the Temple's surprisingly thick floor, the chasm's wall transformed into a combination of rock, dirt, and plant roots. It was hardly clean – but at least they were able to find plenty of solid footholds. The climb into darkness proved to be less than difficult.

And after about half an hour of that, they reached the bottom. Hopping away from the wall, they looked around themselves in wonder.

They were standing on a ledge. Yuna – already stiff from the long climb down – grew even more rigid as Paine glanced down over the side. Rikku slowly turned in a small circle, gazing back up towards the top of the chasm. It was no longer visible, and everything in the tunnel would have been completely dark, but for the same sort of pyreflies that had dwelled inside the Den of Woe.

"How far down does it drop?" Yuna presently asked the sphere hunter.

"Can't tell," Paine shrugged. "This ledge we're on…" She tapped the ground with her foot. "It looks like it works its way farther down this chasm like a spiral road inside a funnel."

Yuna and Rikku both walked over to stand beside her at the ledge's rim. Peering over, they saw that, sure enough, the circular road below seemed to get narrower and narrower the farther down it wound.

Rikku gulped. "It's like climbing down into hell or something." She looked at her cousin incredulously. "How could you have survived a fall like that?"

The Summoner could only shake her head. "I've no idea. It's the Farplane. You know?"

"Come on," Paine suggested, her voice somewhat tight. "We've got a long, winding road ahead us."

"No pun intended, right?" Rikku asked innocently as they started down. Paine shot her a look, and the Al Bhed laughed nervously.

The road before them was indeed a long one. It circled down counterclockwise, with each deeper loop smaller than the one before. And all the while, the pyreflies followed them like a small swarm, lighting their path, and heightening their unease.

The road seemed to last forever. It felt like days were going by, with no end in sight. Several times, they paused to rest, but never for long. They said very little, and thought of less. They focused on nothing more but their walk. A walk into eternity.

It _felt_ like eternity, and when they finally reached the bottom, it was somewhat difficult for their minds to register on their arrival. Instead, they stood there, staring blankly into the small little circular opening that stretched out before them like a clearing. And for a moment, they couldn't even _begin_ to decipher what to do next.

Perhaps that made it a good thing for Shiva to suddenly descend down upon them from the great wide opening of the tunnel above. Her sudden appearance snapped the women out of their stupors and to instant attention.

Shiva was yet another one of Yuna's Aeons. She was an Aeon of ice. Beautiful, regal, and equally as powerful, she had blue skin and long blue hair that fell in dreadlocks down her back. Holding a thin, silvery sheet of watery cloth, she gazed down at Yuna in deep despair.

Immediately, Yuna drew her guns, as Paine drew her sword, and Rikku her daggers. They watched in apprehension as Shiva lifted up a graceful arm.

Daggers of freezing cold ice blasted their way, and they were all exceedingly fortunate to be at the bottom of the chasm, where they didn't have to worry about falling over anymore ledges and plummeting down into darkness as they dove out of her way.

Rikku quickly transformed into her Black Mage Garment. Moments later, Shiva's icy strikes were countered by the Al Bhed's fiery ones. At the same time, Yuna fired bullet after bullet at the Aeon, pausing only to reload or to avoid shooting an ally.

During one such break in the Summoner's rounds, Paine vaulted towards Shiva, striking her blade down on the woman just as she summoned a block of ice against herself. In that single instant, Shiva rejuvenated herself, while Paine was sent flying backwards. She landed heavily on the ground.

Meanwhile, Rikku was growing weary by her constant use of fire magic. Pretty soon she was going to need a rest. Yuna sensed that, and quickly transformed in a blaze of purple light to her White Mage Garment. Holding her Summoning staff firmly in her hands, she drew on its power to revitalize and heal her two friends. But the warmth of such a spell did even _more_ than just restore their strength. It countered the frosty atmosphere that had been blanketing them since Shiva's arrival, raised their spirits, and offered them a hope that canceled out a little bit of the Aeon's despair.

And perhaps that hope proved infectious. For as Yuna held up her Summoning staff, and as she cast her spell with it, a strange look crossed over Shiva's face. One that was not of anger or despair. But of confusion. And of fatigue. And of, perhaps most importantly, recognition.

She gazed at Yuna's staff as if clinging to its very sight – using it as an anchor for her mental state as much as the Summoner used it for her magical state. She stared at it, and for the longest time, she did not move.

Paine noticed this as well as the others did. And while it confused and astonished Yuna and Rikku, it merely gave Paine the opportunity to end a tiresome battle. She rushed towards the Aeon, brandishing her sword, and struck her down.

Shiva shattered into _glimmering_ bluish purple bits of dust, without resisting to the sphere hunter's final attack at all. It was over for her. And Yuna, unexpectedly, sensed a rush of gratitude sweep through her from the dissolving Aeon. She had been Sent again. Sent to find her peace again.

"What was that?" Rikku asked as she and Yuna transformed back into their regular garments.

"Seems to me like she just gave up," Paine agreed. They both looked over at the Summoner in bafflement.

But Yuna had no answer for them. She thought… a part of her understood. She couldn't imagine a greater bliss than to have lived in such despair only to finally find rest at the end of the road.

But then… the most certain way to completely understand such a thing was to ask one who had experienced it in its entirety. And right now… there just so happened to be a young boy standing a few yards away from them, watching through the darkness.

He _was_ a child. A child wearing a blue sleeveless tunic that exposed two long, thin arms of dark complexion. A hood was drawn over his face, hiding it from sight, but Yuna knew who he was. She had seen him before. Two years ago. In Bevelle.

He was a Fayth. He was Bahamut. He was the one who Yuna blamed for her Guardian's disappearance. But then… he was also the one who had brought her Guardian into her life in the first place. Yuna owed this boy. She owed him… and he owed her.

"Yuna," he spoke her name in a calm, tranquil voice that was surprisingly comforting. She gazed at him, basking in the warmth of it, even as Rikku and Paine both spun towards him in astonishment. He was, without a doubt, the _last_ figure either one of them had _ever_ expected to see way down here. Unlike Yuna, _they_ had only ever seen his kind in the forms of great and mighty creatures of power and magic.

The boy hesitated, and then took a few steps towards her. "I'm sorry. We weren't strong enough to stop him. We wanted to at least warn someone… but instead… we were dragged down into the darkness."

So it was true, then, Yuna realized. The Fayth had returned as Aeons to stop Shuyin. But the Aeons had turned horribly violent shortly after being touched by Shuyin's maddening despair. If his despair was strong enough to completely envelop each and every one of the Fayth… then it was greater than the despair of all the rest of the world put together. There was no way to measure it. And Yuna had no honest idea if there was even a way to _lessen_ it, much less end it.

The Fayth was trembling. "We're no better than fiends."

"It's all right," Yuna told him, though her voice came out choked… and heartbroken.

And the Fayth recognized her grief. He felt it, too. "Forgive us."

Yuna hesitated for a moment. During that moment, both Rikku and Paine watched her carefully. And while the Al Bhed was slowly beginning to work out what was going on in her mind, the sphere hunter remained _completely_ at a loss.

Her pounding heart gradually growing calm again, Yuna stepped towards the Fayth, gazing down at him pleadingly. "Please. Tell me. What is he?"

"Shuyin?" the Fayth considered. "Just a shadow. He may look like him-" Yuna's breath caught at those words, but they led to nothing. "-but the real Shuyin died long ago. Even after a thousand years, his hate and misery linger on. His feelings grew so strong, they began to act on their own… Eventually, they became a shadow. A shade that wants only to vanish… but cannot."

_Why is it,_ Yuna thought regretfully to herself. _That those who so desperately want to fade away can't? And those that don't do?_

The Fayth lifted his chin for a fraction of a second, as if in reaction to her very thoughts. As if he could hear them at that moment himself. Regret blazed around them both, and for a moment, Yuna closed her eyes.

_Concentrating on _him_ will give you strength._ Not for the first time, Wakka's words returned to her. She nodded steadily, and opened her eyes again.

"Just a shadow," she said. "I can handle a shadow." There was a certainty in her voice that lightened the Fayth's heart considerably.

"Are you sure?" he asked nevertheless.

Yuna nodded. "Yes. Leave it to me." The Fayth nodded, and gradually faded away into the darkness of the room. At the same time, a portal, or a doorway, appeared stretching open before them. Beyond it, they could see nothing at all but even more lingering shadows.

Yuna stared into it confidently as Rikku and Paine cautiously walked up beside her. "I'll banish shadow with light."

"Light?" Rikku asked nervously. What light could _possibly_ be found down here?

"Lenne's feelings?" Paine asked, feeling like she was sprinting after the two, unable to keep up. Who the boy had been, she did not know. And how he was connected with Yuna, she didn't know. All she felt sure about anymore was that the only way they could _possibly_ make it out of this place would be through deep, deep emotion. And pure, uplifting emotion at that.

Yuna nodded. "That's right. Call it… love." There was no other name for it. And with it, each one of the three of them found the strength to carry on into the dark abyss that led even deeper into the Farplane.

**ooooooo**


	56. Musical Puzzles

**ooooooo**

The threshold of shadows ultimately served as a doorway into the Farplane glen where Yuna had first encountered Shuyin. Everything about the place was exactly as she remembered it being. The flowerbed was like a garden _overflowing_ with feathery lavender petals, the sky was dancing with northern lights, and the waterfalls were as majestic as they had ever been, rumbling like gentle thunder. Everything was warm – comfortably warm, and if there was one difference at all, than it was only the mere presence of thousands upon _thousands_ of pyreflies.

Rikku jumped at the sight before them and ran forward like a little girl. She had never seen the beauty of the Farplane before, and it was more than she could have ever imagined. The pyreflies scattered away from her in surprise, but she hardly cared as she practically fell on her face to touch and smell the flowers. Their fragrance was unbelievable, and a part of Rikku feared she that might grow dependent on them.

Meanwhile, Yuna and Paine slowly and cautiously followed behind her. The number of pyreflies disturbed them. They both remembered hearing, in Guadosalam, about how the Farplane was growing unstable. It could collapse around them at any moment without so much as a warning. The thought of such a thing happening was nerve-racking in itself, and neither one of them could even _pretend_ to feel the delight that Rikku did. Despite the glen's beauty… nothing about it spoke of serenity.

The girl shot up and spun around towards them. "How come nobody ever talks about a garden being here? This is amazing!"

"No one ever enters the garden," Yuna said softly. "No one is ever supposed to venture beyond the outcrop. This place symbolizes the world of the dead. We are trespassers here."

Rikku pouted and turned away. She gazed across the glen, and then collapsed down onto her back, staring up at the radiant sky. "I feel like I could stay here forever."

"None of that," Paine said, walking over to her and forcing her back up to her feet. "Living people belong in this world even less than lingering memories belong in ours. Understand?"

"Yeah," Rikku grumbled. Didn't mean she had to like it.

"Someone's coming," Yuna suddenly observed, and her two companions both swung around to watch as three figures emerged through the cloud of pyreflies.

"Hey!" Rikku gasped as they all recognized first Ormi, and then Leblanc, and finally Logos. So they had decided to enter the Farplane after all…

Leblanc had her arms crossed and was staring at the three Gullwings haughtily. "Hmph. I see _you're_ finally here. You certainly took your sweet time."

Yuna's cheeks flushed in slight embarrassment that the Leblanc Syndicate had actually beaten _them_ to the Farplane. "I…" She shook her head, honestly having no reasonable excuse for the delay. "Why are you here?"

What she had _meant_ to ask was: Why had the Syndicate _come_ to the Farplane? But the three goons must have assumed _that_ much obvious, for they _took_ Yuna's question to mean: Why hadn't they gone any farther?

That interpretation grew evident, as Logos sighed and shook his head. "Because the boss _never_ goes against Lord Nooj's wishes."

"_Lord_ Nooj?" Rikku asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You found him?" Paine overstepped the Al Bhed, feeling hope surge through her heart. If the goons had seen Nooj, it meant that he was still okay! She couldn't help but think about the image of him and Gippal they had seen through Shinra's commsphere. Nooj had said he had a plan. But he had said it with that _edge_ in his voice that had grown terrifyingly familiar to the sphere hunter. For so long, after all, he _had_ been a Deathseeker in the truest sense of the word.

"As we was headin' in," Ormi explained in an exhausted voice. "We found a sphere addressed to the boss."

"He said," Leblanc interrupted, with stars shining in her eyes. "'Don't follow me. Turn back now and wait for my return.'" She sighed dreamily.

And Paine stifled a snicker. "Actually doing what you're told? How novel."

Leblanc grew stiff and stared at the sphere hunter angrily. "What can I say? One look at Noojie-Woojie's _dashing_ visage on that sphere and I was – oh!" She grew slightly overdramatic, pressing the back of her hand against her brow. "Charmed. How can I say no to such a kyootzie-wootzie face?"

Paine scoffed, obviously indignant, and it was all Rikku could do not to laugh openly at the _both_ of them.

Yuna, however, had no time for that. She focused quite seriously on Ormi. "You said, 'as we were heading in.' May I ask… heading in _where_?"

The squat little man turned and pointed through the cloud of pyreflies. "There's a portal over that way. Can't tell where it leads, though." Yuna stared silently in that direction ill at heart, all the while wondering what could be expected up there… waiting for them…

"Well…" She turned apologetically towards Rikku. "It doesn't look like we can stay here any longer. We have to keep going."

Leblanc seemed greatly offended that the Gullwings were going to so brusquely disregard Nooj's command, and for the longest moment, she couldn't think of anything to say. "But… what it…?"

Rikku was forced to distract herself with Leblanc's distress, or risk succumbing to her own at the thought of leaving this wondrous paradise. "Don't worry. We'll tell him you're here! If he knows you're waiting, he has a reason to come home."

Yuna and Paine both stared at the Al Bhed, _utterly_ impressed by her ingenuity. Now, they just _might_ be able to continue forward on this adventure without worrying about the Syndicate tagging along.

Leblanc nodded, satisfied with Rikku's answer. "And wait I shall." She moved out of the Gullwings' path, and waved them along. "Go forward, loves! Save Spira, and… above all else… don't forget to mention me to Nooj!"

Rikku giggled, and Paine shook her head. Only Yuna seemed entirely somber at present, as she led the way past the Syndicate and through the clouds of pyreflies. It was like walking through a star cluster. Everything was bright and warm… but it wasn't gentle. And it wasn't natural. The flowers of the garden beneath them were slowly beginning to wither away. Before long, they decayed completely, and the Gullwings found themselves walking on hard gray rock.

"I…" Rikku looked down at her feet in horror. "Why is this-?" She jumped backwards as a small portion of the rocky surface beneath her feet chipped away, revealing a sickening yellow glow that seemed to spring up from an emptiness below.

Paine kneeled down and touched the ground. "It's so brittle…"

Yuna backed away in horror. For the ground suddenly reminded her of something… something she had seen in the gaol of Bevelle. The sounds of the earth and the rocks breaking apart… reminded her of the sound created when one stepped on and crushed skeletal bones… "It's the Farplane's skeleton."

"What?" Rikku gasped in horror as Paine quickly regained her feet. They both looked at the Summoner in fear.

"This place is on the verge of tearing apart completely," Yuna said. "We can't waste anymore time. We have to stop Shuyin."

The portal Ormi had spoken of loomed before them. Pyreflies hovered around it, and it glowed in a dark, glistening purple radiance. The Gullwings stared at it hesitantly for several long seconds. The had no _idea_ what rested beyond it, and jumping in headfirst suddenly seemed like a pretty stupid thing to do.

"Do you think Gippal's in there?" Rikku asked, holding her hands up nervously to her breasts.

"Gippal, Nooj," Paine nodded. "And Baralai." Thoughts of _him_ swept threw her mind and heart. _Baralai…_ If Shuyin was hurting him in _any_ way… She didn't care what Yuna said. She would beat the _crap_ out of him.

Presently, the Summoner took a deep, soothing breath. She thought about her Guardian… and what _he_ would do, were he here with her. _Probably just jump right in._ They had nothing to lose. She nodded. "I'm going."

Rikku and Paine watched her… and then they followed her loyally as she stepped into the purple light. It was neither warm nor cold. If anything… it just felt somewhat like static. Passing through didn't take long at all, and it gave way into yet another gigantic, cavernous chamber.

The ground was solid here, but devoid of life. The walls around them were whitish – closer to gray than anything else, but not quite so ashen. And as for the ceiling… it was so high above them that they could not make it out at all.

There was a passageway to their left, but a thin sheath of blue mist hovered over it, with sparks of sizzling electricity crackling about it. It made a nice barrier that the Gullwings were not eager to pass through. Their way was cut off. They were facing a dead end.

"Maybe there's another door," Rikku suggested, walking forward and looking around. But the only thing her gaze could pinpoint was a bluish circular plate on the floor to their right, beyond which a big, ancient looking organ stood fixed to the wall. It was _huge_, and seemed to be made from the same white material that the rest of the cavern was. And as Yuna stepped towards it, she realized, to her great disgust, that the material in question resembled human bone even more than the cracked ground behind them did.

"And I thought _Nooj_ was obsessed with death," Paine whispered.

Yuna carefully walked around the bluish plate on the floor. She had been inside of enough Cloisters of Trials to recognize a puzzle when she saw one. Stepping on any sort of platform might set something off that she was not prepared for.

Upon examining the organ, Yuna could tell that it had been played recently. In all honesty, she knew very little about keyboards… she wouldn't have been able to tell a C from a C sharp. She just… wasn't a musician.

But then again… she _had_ shared in the emotions of a musician more than once. And where did music come from, if not from emotion?

"Rikku," she glanced over her shoulder back at her cousin. "Be very careful. And step on the plate."

The Al Bhed's gaze shot down towards the circular plate embedded on the ground between her and the Summoner. She gulped nervously, but did not hesitate to obey. She trusted Yunie. With her very life, she trusted her cousin.

As soon as her weight pressed down on the plate, a dim light glowed beneath it. And as that light glowed, a series of musical notes could be heard. Organ notes. Like no other organ in Spira. The notes, clear and harmonic, were haunting. That was the only word _capable_ of describing such a melody. Haunting.

Yuna listened to it. Her heart listened to it. And from deep inside herself… Lenne must have heard it, too. She gazed intently at the keys of the organ before her for some time. And then, once the song ended, and once the light beneath the plate on which Rikku stood diminished, Yuna began to play.

Her fingers on the keys created the same sound that they had just listened to. She mimicked the melody with such perfection that chills swept over both Rikku _and_ Paine. It was like nothing they had ever heard before.

And once Yuna was done, her reward came as the mist blanketing the passage entranceway completely evaporated.

"You did it!" Rikku exclaimed in excitement. Yuna nodded and, together, the three of them ran past yet another threshold. And they found themselves entering yet another enormous chamber that looked almost exactly like the first. It even had another organ in it, with another electrical barrier blocking off the only other passageway in sight.

In fact, the one and only difference they could see in this room was that it had eight circular plates embedded into the ground throughout the entirety of the room instead of just one.

Rikku groaned at the sight. "Something tells me we're not getting very far very fast." And Paine couldn't help but agree.

"Stay patient," Yuna advised, walking towards the first blue plate. There was another feature to it she hadn't seen on the one plate in the room before. And that was that _this_ one had five black parallel lines stretching across it. And on the third line from the bottom, there was a single black dot.

Yuna hastened towards another one of the plates resting on the floor deeper inside the room. The same five lines were on it as well… but the dot rested in-between two of the lines. Upon inspecting the remaining six plates, she discovered that there was a single dot either on or between the lines for every last one of them.

_One note,_ she processed to herself. _For different bars on eight plates…_ Something inside her, no doubt Lenne herself, put it together easily. A scale. Walking around the room once again, Yuna inspected the different plates, reaching the conclusion that the only identical notes there, octaves aside, proved to be G. She would have to start on G and end on G.

For someone who couldn't read music, she thought to herself, this wasn't that hard. Little did she know, it was going to get more difficult when different notes spat out at her upon stepping on the different plates. She would very quickly gather that this would require a _lot_ more concentration than she had at first supposed.

The G plate spat out a note at her that, in her mind, somehow registered as G. But when she stepped on the A plate, two notes spat out at her, and they were E and D. And then, when stepping down on the B plate, she heard an audible C.

Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, she turned pleadingly towards Paine. "I need help with this."

Paine shrugged. "Tell me what to do."

"Remember a sequence of notes for me as I tell them to you," the Summoner replied. The sphere hunter nodded, and Yuna quickly recited the first four. G, E, D, C. In this way, Yuna was able to move from plate to plate up the scale while quickly relating the notes of the song to Paine, who engraved them in her memory.

Once all eight plates had been cleared, the three Gullwings moved to the organ.And as Paine began reciting the notes back to her, Yuna began to play. She played, drawing on the talent of a sleeping spirit within her as, one by one, each of the plates began to radiate in that same blue light.

When all eight plates were alight, and when the melody had been played wholly on the organ, the blue, misty electrical barrier faded from the passage's entrance, and the Gullwings continued on their quest.

The next room was – to Rikku's relief – much different from the first two. And it was so much grander that, for a moment, Yuna wondered if they had not walked entirely out of the cave and into another region of the Farplane. The wall behind them was the same kind of white, as well as the floor. There was a fog – thin enough to see through but still prominent enough to give everything before them a slightly distorted look.

And hovering in the air and sky ahead of them – as if the fog itself held them up – there were _several_ green platforms shaped like solid funnel islands. They were unevenly suspended, so that one could jump onto the lowest, and from there continue jumping upwards, from one platform to the next, until they reached a part of the far wall that Yuna was only _now_ beginning to make out where a portion of it was completely missing. There was another tunnel way up there… leading God only knew where. But the thing about that tunnel… was that it, too, had the same misty barrier over it that the first two passageways had previously had.

The three women slowly started towards the floating platforms, staring up at them uneasily. And as they drew closer to them, a figure on the ground gradually became visible through the fog.

Rikku gasped. "Gippal!"

She sprang forward, even as Yuna and Paine followed close behind in astonishment. Sure enough, the Al Bhed was resting there by himself, seemingly in quite some pain when the Gullwings found him.

He let out a quiet moan as Rikku fell beside him, taking him by his shoulders in concern. "Cid's girl… …What 'cha doing here?" He uncomfortably sat up a little straighter, struggling to fight back the throbbing, aching twinge in his body, even as he edged a little closer to her.

"Looking for _you_, you bonehead!" she snapped, though mainly out of pure concern for him. Paine felt that way too, as she watched them both in alarm. Gippal was… one of her best friends. If something happened to him… she'd be so lost.

"Are you all right?" she asked quietly. Rikku looked up at her for a moment before turning anxiously back towards Gippal, waiting for his answer.

He nodded – a gesture that caused him to wince slightly and clamp his eyes shut. "Yeah. I just… I got careless. I could… use a nap."

"What happened?" Yuna asked quietly, standing somewhat apart from the three friends. Gippal opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Those platforms," he jerked his head up towards the floating green islands. "Some of 'em got pads on 'em which play notes of music. Step on the wrong pad… play the wrong note… you get blasted off."

Rikku gaped at him. "Are you for real?" That was the _last_ thing they needed to deal with at that moment. Why did it have to be so _hard_ to get to Shuyin?

"How do you know which notes are the rights ones?" Yuna asked, fearing the answer.

But Gippal didn't have one for her. "Search me. As you might be able to tell, I screwed it up. Nooj's the one who figured it out."

Paine glanced upwards. "Where is he?"

"He…" Gippal paused a moment to catch his breath. "He went on ahead."

Yuna nodded, stepping forward. "Here. Let me heal you." She made to change into her White Mage Garment, but the wounded Al Bhed shook his head.

"Don't," he ordered. "Something tells me you're gonna need all the strength you got to make it outta here. Don't waste it on me."

"Gippal!" Rikku's face darkened in irritation. "Don't you go playing all tough on us! We're not stupid. We're not gonna fall for it! Fa'mm syga ed uid uv rana dukadran, ev oui zicd tuh'd pa mega dryd! E lyna duu silr ypuid oui du-" She stopped short, realizing what she had just said, and feeling her face flush in utter embarrassment. She looked down. And Gippal didn't know how to respond.

So Paine interrupted. "Rikku's right. We're better off with you helping us anyway, Gippal. Let Yuna-"

"Save your strength, Paine," Gippal cut in, looking up at her and offering her as wide a smile as he could without hurting his head too much. "I've got no intention of dying down here. Don't forget, Dr. P. I'm not this group's Deathseeker. Never have been, never will be. Don't worry yourselves."

She hesitated for a second. But then… looking into Gippal's eyes… she understood. And she nodded. "Okay."

Rikku stared back and forth between the two before focusing on the man beside her. "But Gippal!"

He shook his head to quiet her, and then focused on someone behind the Summoner. Rikku frowned before following his gaze, as did Paine and Yuna.

To their astonishment – _and_ to their annoyance – Leblanc herself was walking towards them, with Logos and Ormi behind her.

Rikku couldn't _help_ but roll her eyes. "Great. You guys couldn't stay away or what?"

Leblanc's eyes flashed and she stared at the Al Bhed in resent. "I never said _where_ I would wait!"

"Convenient," Paine grumbled.

But to Yuna, the Syndicate's sudden arrival offered an unexpected opportunity that could actually turn things around quite in their favor. She stepped towards Leblanc beseechingly. "Please! Take care of Gippal for us?"

Everyone stared at her in shock – though _none_ of them more so than Gippal himself. Had she just _asked_ the _Syndicate_ to take care of _him_? His head suddenly felt slightly ready to blow off. _That_ was what you got for being proud.

Meanwhile, Leblanc seemed beside herself in offense. "You_ dare_ give _me_ an order?"

Paine and Gippal's gazes caught, and the Al Bhed stared at her pleadingly. _Don't leave me with her!_ A small, mischievous smile crept across the sphere hunter's lips.

She turned towards Leblanc. "Look, we'll tell Nooj you're waiting like a good girl and doing your part for the team." Gippal groaned loudly, though when everyone glanced at him, he managed to make it look as if the cry had been out of pain.

Leblanc paused for a moment…

And then she shrugged. "All right. I'm in."

Paine nodded and turned towards the platform closest to the floor. With one glance towards Yuna, the two of them quickly made for it. Only Rikku seemed reluctant to leave Gippal in the Syndicate's care – though it might have been she was just reluctant to leave him at all.

Therefore, it was to her relief when Gippal called them back. "Hey, Dr. P!"

Paine paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. He nodded, beckoning her to him, and she obeyed. She sat down on the ground next to Rikku.

"I got a gift from Nooj," he said, struggling to produce a tiny greenish sphere from his pocket. "It's from two years ago." He handed it towards her, noticing the shadow crossing over her face.

She was done looking for her past. And besides… they didn't have the time. So she shook her head. "I'll watch it later."

"Hey," Yuna said gently, approaching her from behind. "You should watch it now." Paine glanced at her uncertainly, and the Summoner nodded. "Think about it. You know you won't be able to fight your best if it's on your mind."

Paine hesitated, but then looked back at Gippal. From the way he was watching her with his one good eye, she understood that he _wanted_ her to see it now. She gave in. "Okay."

Delicately taking the sphere from the Al Bhed, she gently placed it on the ground and activated it. The images that shot up to hover over it were of her, Gippal, Nooj, and Baralai. It was at night, and they were on the deck of a boat. Paine instantly recognized the scene, and memories flashed through her mind even as the picture played before them.

The image of Gippal was reclining back against a few crates. "Mmm. Whaddaya got in mind for fun?" He glanced around at his three companions before focusing on the recorder. "Any ideas, Dr. P?"

"Me?" Paine started, and then seemed to consider the question with a distant smile on her face. "A ship… that glides through the air." She focused on Gippal. "That thing you mentioned earlier. If it's for real, I wanna fly it." A knowing smirk crossed the Al Bhed's face and he nodded.

Baralai stepped forward enthusiastically. "You get to be pilot, then. And maybe… I'll try my hand at navigating!"

Gippal lifted his chin. "Then I'll be engineer!" Typical.

Baralai glanced over at their silent companion. "Nooj?"

"Captain," Paine answered for him, as if she had planned this all out already in her mind.

Baralai smiled. "Perfect."

But the man in question scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. "You'd let an amateur be captain?"

Gippal waved a hand at that. "Chill out, Noojster. All you gotta do is shut up and look important and you'll fit the part."

Paine nodded. "Like a glove."

Nooj shook his head again. "I'll work you like dogs." His friends started laughing, and he joined in as well. It was to that laughter that the sphere's image gradually dissipated. But Paine continued to watch the little orb regretfully.

"What happened to that Paine, I wonder?" she whispered, taking the sphere in her hands as she stood up.

Yuna quickly stood beside her, answering before even Gippal could. "She's inside you, sleeping." Paine looked over at her, and the Summoner nodded.

"And that's it," Gippal said, gently shoving Rikku away. She looked at him and he nodded reassuringly. "Go on. I'll be fine." He said this, even as he shot the disinterested Leblanc a rather distasteful look.

Rikku sighed and moved to join her two friends. "Then I guess it's time to set sail."

Yuna nodded firmly, turning towards Paine with a confidence and assurance that lightened _everyone's_ hearts considerably. "Your captain and your navigator are waiting." And it was time now for them to finally catch up.

**ooooooo**


	57. The Final Stretch

**ooooooo**

The pads that Gippal had spoken of didn't appear on any of the platforms until Yuna, Rikku, and Paine had jumped up at least six of them, and were balancing up several yards in the air.

They had passed over the fog, though it remained below them, looking thicker than ever before. Looking down, Rikku could no longer make out Gippal, Leblanc, or either of her two goons. The ground was invisible, and the fall looked eternal. Her legs were shaking slightly as she turned her focus away from that as best she could. It certainly didn't help matters that the platforms were only about five feet in diameter each, offering them very little room in which they could maneuver. It was, in simple words, a terrifying experience.

Yuna was the first to notice the initial pad. It rested in the center of the platform she presently stood upon. Small, and round, Yuna had to squint in order to properly make out the five bars and the little note pressed between two of them. It was a C.

"This isn't the first note," she said, looking down at the platform she had just leapt up from. Rikku and Paine were both huddled on it next to each other, looking up at her apprehensively.

"Don't step on it, then," the Al Bhed weakly advised. "Or you'll get blasted off the way Gippal was."

Yuna nodded. "Let me work through this puzzle myself. I'll figure it out."

"What, are we just supposed to wait here?" Rikku demanded, sounding slightly frightened by such an idea. She peered over the edge of the platform she was on. "I'm not liking this!"

"Don't look down," Paine suggested calmly, pulling her back towards the middle.

Yuna nodded again. "Be patient. I won't take long." She hoped. Turning round, she looked at the platforms surrounding her. They branched off into three paths, and only one of those paths – the center one – led up to the passageway built into the side of the wall above her. With the barrier there… they wouldn't be getting past it very quickly.

Avoiding the pad in the center of the platform, she jumped up to the next one in the middle path. And, to her wonder, _its_ pad was of two notes instead of just one. B and A.

_This isn't gonna be an ordinary scale,_ she told herself, jumping up to the next platform. Its pad was of a G.

As patiently as she could, she hopped back down to the first padded platform. And then she started up the path to its right. The two platforms in that direction had the pad notes of F and E on the first one, and F and G on the second one. She jumped down to the first platform yet again, and then started up the path to its left. There were three platforms, with the note G on the first, C on the second, and E and D on the last.

Yuna paused, quickly memorizing the locations of each and every note upon each and every platform. If she stepped on the wrong one in the wrong order, she would end up like Gippal on the ground. And _that_ was the _last_ thing she wanted.

Summoning forth the knowledge and talent within Lenne as best she could, Yuna remembered the order of the notes from the previous chamber. It _had_ to have been the same song. There were the same number of notes, and for each pad that had two notes on it, they were in the proper order.

And every puzzle, no matter where or what it was, had _some_ kind of logic to it. Yuna just needed to figure out what that logic was in this particular instance.

The order of the notes in the song went G, E, D, C, B, A, G, F, E, F, G, C. The first note was G and the last note was C. But there were two platforms that had only G on them, and two platforms that had only C on _them_. Which ones did she step on first?

Yuna remembered that the first pad she had come to had been of a C. On the other hand, the pad closest to the blocked passageway had been a G. Maybe… that meant that the last pad needed to be stepped on first and the first pad needed to be stepped on last.

Taking a deep breath, Yuna jumped her way back up to the last padded platform. If she was wrong about this… She stepped on it, and it glowed blue while singing out a clear crystal note. And nothing happened to her. She had guessed correctly!

It was easy working through the remaining notes. Only the G's and C's had been solitary. And with two notes placed together on one pad, she was able to picture the order in her mind and sort through them. The last note was a C. She hit it, standing upon the first padded platform in the pattern.

The music echoed around them in a streaming swirl of haunting composition. It chilled to the bone, and Rikku found herself shivering as the three friends watched the blue sizzling mist evaporate at the tunnel's entrance above them. Their way was clear.

Rikku subtly shook her head. "I got a hunch that once we go on ahead, there's no turning back. And I mean, there's _really_ no turning back."

"A hunch?" Paine asked, glancing at her in amusement.

"Yeah," she nodded.

Yuna looked down at her. "That's it?" Rikku nodded again and Paine shrugged.

"A hunch it is, then," she decided, and jumped up onto the platform beside Yuna. One by one the three of them made their way up the remaining platforms to the tunnel entrance. And upon jumping inside of it, Rikku collapsed onto her hands and knees, practically kissing the solid ground.

She looked up sheepishly at her friend and cousin. "I'm really glad _that's_ behind us." The two of them nodded their agreement, and started down the dark tunnel. Rikku watched them go for a minute, and then pushed up onto her feet in order to follow. "I hope there's no silvery white light at the end."

She needn't have been worried. When they came to the end of the tunnel, it opened up outside – or at least it _looked _to be outside – and, upon viewing the sky above them, it seemed to be night, thick with angry black storm clouds. It was the _ground_ beneath them that made them wonder about the place at all. The ground was like no _natural _ground they had ever stood upon before in their lives.

But then… they _were_ in the Farplane. And there was very little about the Farplane that could be accurately depicted as natural.

The ground was black. But there were glyphs embedded into it. And those glyphs stretched out in every direction for as far as the eye could see, patterned in an intricate, detailed, elaborate grid. And they sparkled and radiated in the purest hues of purple and silver and indigo and pink that had _ever_ been seen before in _all_ of Spira. It was beautiful…

But what it led up to was not.

Vegnagun was there – towering above them as a titanic scorpion with its skull face. Already its mouth was drawn open… and the largest cannon Yuna had ever seen before in her life was sticking out of it. Everything _about_ Vegnagun screamed of grace. Its metal was the smoothest and hardest in the world – and held at the greatest value. For _all_ of Vegnagun's lifelessness – considering it was a soulless piece of machina weaponry – it had _such_ a resemblance to a fiend… or even an Aeon. As far as machina were concerned, there was no greater majesty.

Rikku trembled at the sight of it. For the first time in her life, she had found a piece of equipment that was actually capable of daunting even _her_. She did _not_ appreciate the sensation.

"It's moving!" Yuna gasped as the scorpion's stinger rose up towards the sky. And for the first time… the Gullwings observed yet _another_ organ sitting on the very top of the skull's cranium. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be made of the same white bones as had the others from before… Instead, _this_ organ seemed to be more of a part of _Vegnagun_ itself.

And Yuna remembered her vision from within the Den of Woe. That organ… it was what controlled the machina. And sure enough, she could make out the figure sitting before it, in that very same bowl-shaped hollow on the machina's head, playing that haunting melody. It was the same melody as before… only with chords… and harmony… and the bass clef. It made the song _that_ much more powerful. And _that_ much more terrible.

The player was Baralai. Though… all three women could see Shuyin sitting up there, too. Baralai and Shuyin… one body… two figures… both at once… it was like something out of a ghost story!

A terrifying ghost story.

Nooj suddenly appeared standing in the shadows to their right. "Both Baralai and Vegnagun belong to _him_ now."

Startled, the three women spun towards him while trying to catch their breaths. Yuna nodded sadly. "Shuyin…"

"Nooj," Paine started towards him anxiously… but then thought better of it. And Nooj noticed her hesitation. It seemed to sadden him immensely, and he looked away.

For several moments, no one spoke. They couldn't… the weight of their journey was too enormous. All any of them wanted was to rest. But… There was Vegnagun. They were finally in its presence. And it was overwhelming them.

"I have a plan," Nooj told them quietly. "Can't call it a smart one, though."

Paine looked back at him, her face grim. There it was again. That voice that was so determined to just give up. She couldn't… she didn't want to… lose her dear, dear friend.

"What's that?" Rikku asked, for she didn't know Nooj, and had no idea what thoughts were passing through his head.

The Meyvn held up his gun. "He acts through another's body. Stop the body and you stop him… I'll shoot Baralai."

"NO!" Rikku jumped forward, tossing up her arms vehemently. They couldn't do that! They couldn't allow Nooj to just _shoot_ his friend!

And Paine agreed. Her heart was beating wildly in her throat – so wildly that no words were able to get out. She couldn't lose Baralai. She couldn't! And she couldn't lose Nooj! As she couldn't lose Gippal. It was _just too much_!

Nooj remained patient. "His body will be useless, but if we're lucky, he won't die." Rikku couldn't believe it. Was that supposed to make it _right_? "Shuyin will abandon Baralai. And then he'll come back for me."

"What then?" Paine asked stiffly. She knew what was coming. She had heard it all before. Nooj. Nooj the Deathseeker. He glanced at her then, and tears pricked in her eyes. His gaze… once again seemed to understand her. She had missed him dearly these last two years. She couldn't bear to hear what he had to say to her next.

"I will die."

Paine looked away from him, staring at the shining ground as she wiped the tears quickly away.

Nooj's voice softened as he stepped towards her. He held up his prosthetic arm, and then looked down at his prosthetic leg. "I've already rigged my body. All I need to do now is set it off, and Shuyin will go with me."

Yuna stared at him intently, as if trying to judge whether or not he truly meant what he said. And she found that… he did. He meant every last bit of it. "Nooj…"

"But, don't you…" Paine hesitated, and then looked up at him desperately. "You're our captain."

He nodded. "Exactly."

And then Yuna knew. She understood. Completely. Words that had once been spoken by Chappu passed through her mind again. _"Being with your girl is good. But keeping Sin far away from her is better."_

That was why Nooj was willing to die now. It was not because he sought after it any longer – because he didn't. Yuna could sense _that_ much. But… Nooj had spent so much of his life seeking it that he thought he was prepared for it. He thought he could handle it. And though he no longer _craved_ for it… he thought that if _someone_ must die here today, it ought to be him. And not Paine. If _someone_ must die for Spira, it ought to be him. One life – his life – was a small price to pay. In the end… it wouldn't matter to the world if he died. Everyone died, but the world kept turning. Nooj would see that it _always_ kept turning. Forever.

If he must die… he wanted it to be like this.

Yuna understood. She had felt that way before herself. She was a Summoner. Nooj was a captain. It was his job – not to work his crew like dogs – but to protect his crew. And if necessary… to give his very life for his crew. That was why… he would sacrifice himself for Baralai. And for the world.

Nooj walked over to Paine and embraced her. And she held him back, too… once she had overcome the initial shock of such a display of intimacy. For the longest time… she held him. Tears overflowed in her eyes, but she ignored them, just clinging to a man she had lost so long ago… and had found again… only to have to lose again within minutes.

"We can't do this without you," she told him when they finally pulled apart.

He smiled gently. "Baralai will help you find your way. I promise you this, Paine. I will eliminate this threat. Call it personal." He shrugged.

"But I'll miss you…" she felt like a little girl… helpless to stop a world from spinning out of control… helpless to stop her tears.

He reached out and stroked her face. "I won't be far." For a moment, the four of them stood together in quiet silence. But then… that moment ended, and Nooj backed away to regard all three of them rather grimly. "Now listen to me, because this is very important. You all need to wait here. Do not move until this is over." He faced Rikku. "When _he_ is gone, Vegnagun will slowly begin to settle down. Once that happens, it'll be up to you and Gippal to see to it that Vegnagun is put away where it will _never _be found again. Do you understand?"

The Al Bhed looked somewhat dazed, and she had tears of sympathy in her own eyes for Paine, but after a moment, she snapped to enough to nod her head. "Y-yeah. I… I understand."

"Good," he regarded each of them one last time before focusing on Paine. "Goodbye." He didn't even wait for her to respond to his words. He just turned towards Vegnagun. And without another moment's hesitation, he started to walk away… out of Paine's life one last time… and this time… forever.

**ooooooo**

A thousand thoughts passed through Yuna's mind as she watched Nooj take those first few steps away from them. A thousand emotions. And a thousand memories. They flashed through her eyes faster and faster than she could see them, leaving her to feel exhausted and somewhat dizzy.

But out of the lot of them, there was one thing she felt completely sure about. And it pushed her into walking after Meyvn Nooj.

"Yunie?" Rikku asked uncertainly as her cousin followed the man. What was she thinking? Hadn't she heard _anything_ he had told them?

Oh, she had heard every word. And she had heard every command. But that left her with a choice. The choice of whether or not she would _obey_ those commands. And at that moment… she had every intention of, for once, making the right decision.

Rikku glanced over at Paine in confusion. The sphere hunter's tears had stopped when Yuna had moved. The Summoner's sudden and unexpected step towards Vegnagun was enough to distract her from her grief. What was going on now?

It did not take long for Nooj to sense Yuna's presence behind him. He stopped short and spun around to glare at her impatiently. "I _told_ you to _wait _back there. What do you-?"

"I don't like your plan," she interrupted, speaking in a tone which assured him, very succinctly, that _her_ words would ultimately be the ones to have the final say. "It sucks."

For a full minute, no one could even breathe as the Summoner's words sank in.

And for Rikku… a sudden flood of hope began to fill up inside her heart. For she had heard that tone in Yuna's voice before. She had heard it two years ago. In the words of a young man who had _refused_ to let Yuna sacrifice her life in vain. _I'll find a way._

"Your plan is _awful_," Yuna informed the astonished Nooj. "Think about it. It's no different than what we did two years ago. We destroyed our own allies. We destroyed the Aeons who had fought together with us, at our sides."

Nooj looked down, as hope began filling inside of Paine, too.

"We didn't have a choice then," Yuna conceded. "We believed that was the only way we could save Spira." She paused for a moment, and then… her voice grew slightly bitter. "Do you know what it _felt_ like to watch them die? Right before my eyes?"

Nooj looked up at her, but in looking at her, he found himself unable to answer.

"It was the only thing we could do," she went on, sounding more and more critical of herself… and of Spira. "It was the only choice we had. I gave in, I accepted, I believed. I _allowed _it to be true. I thought I'd be able to go through with it without ever doubting myself. I…" She paused, as if suddenly doubting herself right then. "But I…" She closed her eyes. "It hurts so much."

No one could think of what to say.

No one other than the Fayth, whose presence suddenly filled the atmosphere around them. "Forgive us."

Yuna blinked, but her gaze did not sweep the area for a boy she already knew she wouldn't see. Instead, she returned that gaze to Nooj. Her eyes… blue and green… were bright… and moist… and so terribly forlorn. "Everyone was _so_ happy. 'Great job, Yuna! You did it! You saved us all!'"

Rikku flinched, for she _knew_ she had been one of those people to congratulate her cousin. And something inside her heart told her that… Yuna hadn't wanted to be congratulated at all.

"And I know that I was smiling, too," she admitted. "But now… when I look back… The people who should be here aren't. The ones who should be smiling with me aren't here."

"We had no choice." It was her father. Braska. His presence was there now, too. Along with the Fayth's. At one time in her life… feeling him like this would have been the greatest joy she could have ever asked for. But now…

She wanted him to go away. She wanted them _all_ to go away. Anyone who made excuses… she was just so _tired_ of excuses.

"'We had no choice,'" she repeated his words somewhat scornfully. "_Always,_ 'we had no choice.' Those are our magic words. We repeat them to ourselves again and again. But you know…?" She stepped towards Nooj then, as a rush of emotion surged out of her very disappointed heart. "The magic never worked! The only thing we're left with is regret."

"Yuna…" her father whispered from the shadows. "I'm sorry."

"No," she told him, though to Nooj, Rikku, and Paine, she might have been talking to anyone. "I don't want this anymore."

She blinked her eyes shut… and in her mind she could see the face of the one person she _did_ want. And when he smiled at her in her dreams… she felt herself smiling in return, as a peace touched her in her heart and blossomed on her face. She nodded at Nooj. "I don't want friends to die… or fade away."

Rikku looked down. Though she was the only one to do so, because for once in their lives, Paine and Nooj both wanted to look up.

Yuna didn't stop. "I don't want battles where we have to lose in order to win. Nooj, I know what you say is what you mean to do. But give _me_ your resolve. Believe in Yuna."

He might have been a captain. But Yuna… _She_ was a High Summoner. He must have understood that. For as he watched her, he smiled and crossed his arms.

"So, you have a plan?" he conceded.

And Paine felt her hands suddenly covering her mouth as the greatest and truest joy she had ever felt, not just in the last two years of her life, but in _all_ her life, washed over her. Nooj was going to fight to live! And not to die. The gratitude that the sphere hunter suddenly felt for the Summoner was greater than any gratitude ever felt by anyone in the world. Somehow she just knew… they were going to live. She had tears in her eyes again… but only out of happiness. Yuna had given Nooj something… She had given them _all_ something.

And she was able to assure them. "I do."

Rikku stepped towards her and asked: "Light?"

But Yuna shook her head. "That's Plan B. First…" She turned towards her cousin. "There isn't any machina anywhere that you can't handle. Right?"

Rikku's eyes widened in alarm and she backed away. "Wrong! I didn't know anything about anything when I said that!"

Paine smiled, finding some amusement again, even in that awful place.

"Just answer this…" Yuna pleaded. "No matter how monstrous Vegnagun looks, it's still _just_ a machina, right? So we can take it apart, right?"

Rikku hesitated. "Uh, yeah. Uh… mmm… maybe?"

"What is this?"

The voice was new, and it sounded incredulous. The Gullwings, and Nooj as well, all spun around to identify it in utter astonishment, for its owner was most _definitely_ not supposed to be there.

"Gippal!" Rikku cried in shock.

He scoffed at her, leaning slightly on Logos's shoulder as the man helped him towards them. They were accompanied by Leblanc and Ormi.

"You never used to be the think-before-you-act type," he reminded the her. "What gives?"

"What gives?" Rikku demanded in horror. "I should be asking _you_ that!" But then, she turned to glare at Leblanc, as if automatically assuming _she_ was the one to blame. "What part of 'take care of Gippal' involves helping him up _here_?"

Leblanc crossed her arms irritably. "Well _I_ never _was_ the wait-like-a-good-girl type! Would you have rather I had left him down there _alone_?"

"Leblanc…?" A tide of emotion crossed over Nooj's face, leaving him rather uncertain about what those emotions were actually of.

She smiled at him dreamily. "I'm here for you, Noojie!" Paine stared at her in disgust.

Gippal blinked. And then he felt the rather sudden need to change the topic to a lighter note. "Vegnagun _can_ be destroyed! Abso-posi-you better believe it! Wanna know why?"

His enthusiasm was, at least to Rikku, infectious. But then… that was _always_ the case when two people who really mattered to each other were together. And Gippal… he mattered to Rikku. He mattered enough for her to grow enthusiastic when he was feeling enthusiastic. And she found herself jumping forward confidently. "'Cause people built it!"

"Right," Yuna nodded assertively. "Everyone! It looks like we can stop that thing after all!"

Her words had barely escaped her lips when Vegnagun's cannon suddenly spun and charged – letting out a sound that was _frighteningly_ akin to a cocking gun. The machina lifted its skull of a head, and its several spidery legs began to twitch – as if they were coming to life. Those movements… they didn't look like the movements of a piece of equipment. They looked like the movements of an animal that was, in fact, alive and breathing and, in every sense of the words, on both the _off_ense _and_ the _de_fense.

For Vegnagun was sensing danger. And it _wasn't_ going to stand for it!

**ooooooo**


	58. A New Song

**ooooooo**

Ormi let out a squeal of nervous laughter as Vegnagun stretched out above them like a predatory titan ready to ensnare its prey. "Now it's pissed!"

Two red lights sparkled out of the machina's eyeless sockets as it leered down at them – they were nothing to it but ants. And as a giant leg swept forward, pitching its body towards them, only Rikku and Ormi seemed mindful enough to react to it – as in, they were both fidgeting like crazy.

As for the others… Logos was exerting too much energy supporting the wounded Gippal to bother fidgeting, and likewise, Gippal required too much energy to just keep on his feet. Leblanc looked slightly paralyzed, and even Paine was staring up at Vegnagun as if completely stunned. Nooj stood as motionlessly as he could between the machina and the two women, ready to protect them – though he occasionally did glance over at Gippal as well, concerned for his friend, and worried about his injuries.

Only Yuna was perfectly calm staring up at that thing. It was strange… in the face of such danger, the _one_ thing that passed through her mind was… _it's not as big as Sin._

Nevertheless, Leblanc was suddenly capable of shaking her head. "Perhaps you might want to rethink your strategies."

Nooj glanced over at the Summoner. "What about Shuyin?" His tone spoke of extreme urgency, for with each passing second, Vegnagun was getting closer, and it fully intended on killing each and every one of them.

Yuna answered evenly, without looking away from the machina. "Plan B."

"And what's that?" Nooj demanded impatiently, remembering how she had mentioned such a plan earlier.

She glanced at him, amazingly, with a smile. "Love."

No one, at least none of the _men_, could believe what she had just said. From where Gippal stood leaning against Logos, he shook his head. "Ruu, puo." Hoo, boy.

Nooj shook his head critically as well. "The ultimate illusion."

Yuna turned to him, even _more_ amazingly, proving capable of indignation at a time like that. "It'll work!" She looked back at Vegnagun. "I've come this far to bring Lenne's feelings to Shuyin. I'm not stopping now." She _couldn't_. And _he_ wouldn't have either, if _he_ had been there, at that moment.

Leblanc nodded, _always_ a dreamer herself. "The power of love conquers all! So romantic! Count me in!"

Vegnagun was upon them now, and its tail – its scorpion stinger – crashed down at them with impossible vehemence. But because of that, it was not quite as quick as it might have been, and they were all able to dive out of the way – even Gippal.

He _did_ fall on his side, though, and grimaced in pain. Perhaps running after the Gullwings _hadn't_ been the brightest idea in the world after all.

"Gippal!" Rikku, Paine, and Nooj all instinctively rushed towards him to help him however they could, and he felt _somewhat_ comforted at the thought of being so appreciated.

Meanwhile, Yuna was apart from them, sitting in a crouch as she gazed up at Vegnagun in wonder. For a piece of machina thought to be so powerful… so utterly _indestructible_… it wasn't moving all that fast.

A third presence, next to the Fayth's and her father's, swept around her. Yuna recognized it… she had felt something of it many times two years ago. It was Sin. Or rather, more accurately, it was Sir Jecht.

"It's just bluffing," she heard him tell her smugly, in that gruff voice of his. _So_ smugly, in fact, that not even the haughty _Leblanc_ would have been able compete with it. Though that only offered her slight comfort, and little else – for why would _Vegnagun_ bluff? Regardless, it comforted her that Jecht, who had once been the very armor of Sin, was on her side now.

And he wasn't the only one. A fourth presence touched her shoulder. She recognized _it_, too. Sir Auron. He passed by her and seemed to coldly regard Vegnagun himself – though how Yuna knew that, she was unsure, for she could only _feel_ their presences; she couldn't see them. But when he spoke, he did in that familiar, calm, and self-assured voice that always promised triumph. "This _relic's_ getting rusty."

_This relic… _Relic. Vegnagun was a thousand year old piece of machina that had never been used. It had been activated once, but it had never been fired. This weapon had spent a thousand years sitting beneath the Temple in Bevelle, just collecting dust. It was an antique. It had been powerful in its day – in its prime. But its prime had been a thousand years ago.

Stories and spheres had inspired legend. But the truth was… Vegnagun had lost its indestructibility _generations_ ago. It _was_ just bluffing.

Leave it to Sir Auron and Sir Jecht to point _that_ out.

Braska's presence came down on her again, and she was happy now to sense him there. She was happy now to hear his words. "Yuna. You have your friends."

She closed her eyes for a second, and exhaled her relief. "Thank you."

Getting up, she drew one of her guns and started firing at Vegnagun even as she walked boldly towards those friends. They watched her come in amazement, for even as Vegnagun's tail rose high above its head again, and started shooting down beams of energy at her from the tip of its stinger, she barely even flinched. She had to move faster to avoid the beams, and was soon running and jumping to dodge, but she did so as if she were fighting just any other typical fiend. Moving with such grace and composure… she had the appearance of an angel sent down to battle this inferior – one could even go so far as to call it fragile – demon.

When she was only about five yards away from where Nooj, Gippal, Paine, and Rikku were huddled together, she transformed within a swirl of purple light into her White Mage Garment.

Rikku might have read her mind, for she looked at Gippal knowingly. "You're getting healed now whether you like it or not!" And for once, the Al Bhed had no complaint.

Unfortunately, the spell did not have the same affect on Vegnagun this time as it had earlier on Shiva. The machina kept firing lasers at them with its stinger. But even if Yuna's spell didn't bring Vegnagun to surrender, _its_ attacks compelled her and her friends to give up even less.

Yuna caught Rikku and Paine's gazes and she nodded. "Let's give this thing _all_ we have." Her fellow Gullwings were _more_ than compliant. They were ecstatic.

Leaving Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi in Nooj and Gippal's capable – and now cured – hands, the three of them charged towards Vegnagun audaciously. And as they went, they changed dresspheres themselves.

In a swirl of purple light, Rikku became a Black Mage, and Paine a Dark Knight. All three of them started casting spells – Yuna summoned forth various barriers to shield them from Vegnagun's assault, even as Rikku struck at him with lightning. And Paine, growing frustrated with that energy blasting nuisance of a tail, used the Dark Knight's magic to Break it away.

Without hesitating, the three of them – working smoothly in a single unit – once again switched dresspheres. Yuna became a Warrior, Rikku a Gunner, and Paine a Samurai. They charged underneath Vegnagun, expertly avoiding the enormous legs it tried plowing them over with, even as they struck at them with physical assaults of their own.

They wouldn't be defeated. Vegnagun had rotted over the course of one hundred _long_ centuries, and simply could not be expected to keep up.

Yuna switched into an Alchemist Garment, as Rikku became a Berserker and Paine a Black Mage. The sphere hunter cast spells against the machina again, even as Rikku, whose strength had nearly tripled by her recent transformation, vaulted upwards towards the weapon's cannon.

That cannon was powered by the four red spheres bordering its barrel. Rikku gracefully climbed towards those spheres, ignoring the machina's attempt to throw her off, and trusting her friends to watch her back as it did so. Neither of the two disappointed her, and Rikku reached the tip of the cannon. The thing was _unnecessarily _enormous, and the spheres themselves were almost as big as her face was. Nevertheless, she managed to rip apart the wiring around one and pull it out. It was the only one she could reach, but it was still enough. The cannon began to power down.

Rikku jumped to the ground. It was a long fall after having climbed up so high, but she landed squarely and turned her head in time to see Yuna nod. This was it, then. This was the time to pull out all the stops.

In a blast of extraordinary light, Rikku transformed into her special dressphere. Machina Maw. The enormous golden weapon appeared for her to straddle, and she faced Vegnagun on top of it – a machina that could rival the scorpion looking thing _any_ day… in Rikku's mind at least.

Paine also was showered with streams of light as she switched into her special dressphere as well. Full Throttle. Like Rikku, she had worn it once before, and its power had been astronomical. Stretching out her two bladed wings, she grabbed one of the swords the hovered in the sky above her and brandished it challengingly.

And then… it was Yuna's turn.

Out of the three of them, she was the only one to have never used her special dressphere. Now it was time to change that. She touched it, and activated it. It swept her up in a flood of lavender light, filling her with a warmth and blanketing her with a fragrance that was practically suffocating. Intoxicating.

Floral Fallal.

Her dress was made of light, delicate strips of lavender satin that fluttered around her as if in a wind. On either side of her there stretched out two circular pistils of a darker purple. And though they _looked_ to be as frail as any other plant… Yuna's Garment was not a trifle.

Her father had told her that she had her friends. Now… it was time to teach Vegnagun what that meant.

"Ready?" she asked them. "Y."

"R."

"P."

"Show time," Rikku quipped.

And at once, they each attacked the machina with as much power as they could possibly muster in their individual garments. From Rikku and her machina, a surge of golden light poured towards Vegnagun like a blast of lightning. Paine swung her blade, cutting a strip of the very air, which created a silver beam of energy that pulsated towards the weapon like a laser ray of her own. And Yuna created whirls of purple floral bombs and shells that she sent careening towards the machina's head.

Each one of their attacks smashed into the machina with a blazing force of unrivaled power. And with them all together…Vegnagun stood no chance.

There was an explosion.

And then a gust of blinding light – gold, and silver, and purple in color.

And then everything went dark.

**ooooooo**

"Agh…" Rikku moaned. _Why did she have such a headache?_ Blinking furiously, it took her a minute to register the fact that she was on the ground. "What happened?" Everything looked so dark… except for the floor. The glyphs were spread out over it in that same illuminant pattern as before. She pushed herself up, her arms trembling something fierce beneath her weight.

Looking around, she caught sight of Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi a few yards away, folded over on their hands knees as well. Nooj was leaning over Paine, who was slowly regaining consciousness herself, and Gippal was…

"If you're asking me," he said, leaning over her – which caused her to jump in surprise. "I think you three gals got it."

"Gippal!" She couldn't help it. She tossed her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He chuckled a bit, but held her back.

"Is it over?" she asked after a minute, when they separated. "Did we finish it?"

He hesitated. "Umm…" His good eye shot towards something behind her, and Rikku found herself jerking around.

There was Vegnagun. Nothing more now than a pile of rubble. Standing at the base of the junk heap, however, was Baralai – with Shuyin even now possessing him. They were still both visible inside one frame… still like a ghost. And even from behind, Rikku could tell that that was one unhappy ghost.

Everyone was watching him now. Rikku and Gippal. Leblanc, Logos, and Ormi. Nooj and Paine. All their eyes were fixed on Shuyin. Somehow, sometime during the fight, he had managed to make it off the top of the machina. He didn't even look scratched!

Slowly, he presently turned around and stared at the seven of them. A couple of pyreflies fluttered around his right hand only to, a moment later, transform into a long wide blade which he brandished threateningly in front of him. Never before had any of them seen less of Baralai… and so much more the face of pure anguish.

He started towards them, and both Nooj and Gippal rose to meet him. Paine and Rikku had taken care of Vegnagun. But with Shuyin… it was now _incredibly_ personal between the three men. _Especially_ between him and Nooj. They were ready for a fight.

But then…

Yuna appeared… stepping out of the shadows of darkness… between her friends and Shuyin, decked in the blue and black Songstress Garment that had once, a thousand years ago, been worn by a Summoner named Lenne.

And when Shuyin saw her… he paused. He hesitated, faltered, trembled, and stared. There she was… the one person he cared about… the one person he was, even now, failing to save.

"Shuyin," Yuna spoke his name calmly… and even… affectionately.

"Lenne?" His sword fell out of his hand, clattering loudly against the glowing ground.

_Lenne…_ Even now, it stung Yuna to hear him call her that. She _wasn't_ Lenne. And he… he was not Tidus. Pretending it to be otherwise was just a…

Yuna blinked. That was the first time she had allowed herself to utter _his_ name, even in her own _thoughts_, in almost three years. _What had changed? What had happened, that she should find the strength to be able to think it now?_

But Shuyin was waiting now, and she could not linger on her own private thoughts and memories. So she took a single step forward, and nodded. "There's something I must tell you. Words left unspoken for a thousand years."

A moment passed. In it, Paine stood up and walked forward to stand between Nooj and Gippal. Baralai was still in Shuyin's possession, and there was nothing more difficult for the three of them than to simply stand there waiting, _hoping_, that Yuna could save him by herself.

"I love you," she told him then. "And I'm grateful… grateful that you stayed with me until the end."

Shuyin's trembling amplified, and he looked… so much like a lost innocent child. "But I… I couldn't save you!" His voice echoed around them… saturated in despair.

Yuna gently smiled, even as she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Her heart was just beating so much… In that garment… she could feel _more_ than just her own emotions. And the price of Lenne's feelings took its toll on her strength. "It doesn't matter. Please don't go on grieving alone."

She took two more steps towards him, and her voice doubled with another's. Two voices. One message. "Rest."

Shuyin seemed willing – and even eager – to obey. He stepped out of Baralai's body, which sent the man crumbling to the ground, and stepped closer to Yuna. He couldn't take his gaze off her, and even when Paine rushed forward, passing by the Summoner, and then passing around the shadow himself, in her mad rush to get to Baralai, he focused only on her.

"We can finally fade," he whispered, dreaming of the wanted thing he had been denied for a thousand years. "We can… fade… together?"

"Baralai?" Paine asked, kneeling down onto the ground beside him and pulling him up as best as she could by his shoulders. "Baralai, can you hear me?"

Yuna gazed deeply into Shuyin's eyes, and she nodded. At that moment, a haze seemed to clear out of those deep, heartbroken, cerulean eyes of his. A calm seemed to wash over him, healing him from his madness.

But with that healing came a clarity. And in that moment of clarity, Shuyin saw Yuna. He saw… Yuna. A woman whose only physical resemblance to Lenne was really just her dress and hair color.

His expression changed. It changed from its hope and into betrayal. And from its betrayal into loneliness. And then, ultimately, back down into the utter anguish from whence it had begun. He shook his head, backing up. "No."

Yuna _immediately_ realized what happened. Alarm swept through her, and she stepped towards him in dismay, holding up an arm. "Wait!"

"NO!" he shouted at her _furiously_.

Rikku grimaced at the sound. And from where Paine sat holding Baralai, Shuyin had _never_ looked more dangerous. He turned around and walked towards her. For a moment, she feared he was headed for her, and her arms tightened around Baralai. But Shuyin barely even noticed her, instead reaching down to reclaim his sword.

He turned back towards Yuna, wielding it in a familiar style that sent chills crawling down her back. He held it aloft _exactly_ as her Guardian had two years ago.

And he shook his head, his eyes _bleeding_ with hate and misery. "You are not Lenne!"

She backed up in alarm.

And Shuyin lunged.

"Yunie!" Rikku screamed as Nooj and Gippal both pulled free their guns and fired savagely in time to distract the shadow from his original target. Shuyin paused long enough to glance at the two of them and their weapons attentively, before he vaulted into the air, gracefully somersaulting over their bullets.

He was fast. Faster than even their weapons, and within seconds he was in front of them both, violently bringing his sword down on them, as quick as lightning.

It was all Rikku could do to stand up, pulling an Al Bhed grenade from her belt sp that she could chuck it at his stomach in time. And the force of it sent him stumbling backwards – even if he _did_ prove capable of grabbing it before it detonated and hurling it towards the now useless pile of rubble that had once been Vegnagun.

He spun around back towards Rikku and walked up to her quickly. She barely had time to widen her eyes before he grabbed her by her neck with a strong hand. Squeezing, he strangled her, even as she stared at his familiar face in grief.

The two of them looked so much alike… Tears stung in her eyes as it grew impossible for her to breathe.

"Rikku!" Gippal started forward in alarm. Shuyin saw him coming and he effortlessly tossed the girl backwards so that she collided against the Al Bhed. The two of them stumbled, and very nearly landed in a heap on the ground.

Nooj was at Shuyin's side a moment later, swinging a powerful arm towards the man's head. But he gracefully ducked out of the way, and then slammed his foot down against Nooj's prosthetic leg. The force of _that_ assault pushed it slightly out of place, and Nooj went down heavy.

Shuyin lifted up his sword, having every intention of decapitating the man. But then… Paine was on her feet, running towards him with her own sword drawn. She would defend Nooj, after all, at any cost. But Shuyin sensed her advance, and spun around to meet her.

Their blades met, but in less than two additional seconds, Shuyin disarmed her, and plowed a fist into her face. She fell over backwards with a choked cry.

It was like there could be no defeating him. Unlike Vegnagun… Shuyin could fight back competently. He _did_ fight back competently, and unlike Vegnagun, he actually had a human _desire_ to win.

The angry were violent… the sick were desperate… and the injured were said to be even more dangerous than the whole. Shuyin… he was all of these, and _then_ some.

Yuna noticed that as she watched. And as she watched… she realized… that no matter how much Shuyin looked like him, and no matter how much Shuyin fought like him, Shuyin was, as the Fayth had said, just a shadow. Nothing more. A mere shadow. Yuna had not been afraid of shadows in over ten years.

The Songstress Garment was not hers. It was not for her to wear. She should have known that. But even though she hadn't, it was still not too late.

She transformed within a stream of light into her Warrior dressphere. And in doing so, she pulled free the one weapon that could face up to Shuyin.

The Brotherhood.

The watery blade that Wakka had given to her Guardian two years ago. If nothing else would work, _this_ would carry her through.

She felt him then, for a moment. Holding the blade in front of her, she thought she could see his hand gripping the handle warmly over hers. It strengthened her.

Shuyin was standing over all of them now. Paine, Rikku, Gippal, Nooj… they were all huddled on the ground, looking up at him in panic. And he was holding his blade out before him, looking ready to strike, when he felt Yuna behind him.

He spun around, lunging at her with his blade. She countered quickly, catching his sword with her own, and then twisting it savagely, trying to jerk it out of his grasp. He managed to hold on, but a hint of surprise shadowed his face.

She swung and he blocked, pushing forward with all his weight. Yuna allowed herself to fall back, which sent him stumbling forward. She spun around, slashing her watery blade towards his exposed back. But he ducked and rolled forward. Scrambling to his knees, he twisted his upper body around and held his sword up to defend himself as she attacked yet again.

Their blades met, then broke apart. Shuyin swept his right leg towards both of hers, pushing her down heavily onto her back. He struggled to push himself to his feet, even as she gracefully arched back up onto her own. Their blades met again.

A series of parries followed. They jabbed, thrust, deflected, and sidestepped each other for what felt like hours. And the rest of the group, Rikku, Paine, Nooj, Gippal, and even the Syndicate, could only watch in fascination. None of them had been able to stand up to Shuyin for more than thirty seconds. And here Yuna was… literally locked in combat. It was incredible…

And lethal.

For Shuyin suddenly pulled away from Yuna, glaring at her with a wild expression on his face before finally holding up his sword in a particular position that brought to her mind an alarming image of her own Guardian's fighting stances from two years ago. This was a technique of _his_… and Shuyin was going to use it against her!

_I can't do this…_ she realized, her stomach dropping empty. It was too much. She was tiring, and as it was, she had never seen someone successfully counter the particular attack that Shuyin was preparing for her. She just didn't know how to!

_I can't do this alone._

"_Just whistle… I'll come running."_

Tears filled in Yuna's eyes. But she remembered their promise. She straightened her back, holding her head up high even as she lifted the Brotherhood up firmly in front of her with just one hand. Using her other, she whistled loudly and strongly for all the world to hear.

And when Shuyin descended down on her with his blade literally _ripping_ the air apart between them, Yuna jumped safely towards the Heavens above. And she believed… that even without her Aeons… she could fly.

Shuyin's blade met with empty space, and he looked up at her in surprise. Now, it was her turn to descend on him, and as she did so, energy spiraled down like rain. There was a burst of silver light flashing all around them and a deafening, thunderous explosion.

**ooooooo**

When the light faded, and all was quiet again, the Gullwings, Nooj, Gippal, and the Syndicate found themselves observing a startling scene.

Shuyin was on his hands and knees, catching his breath rather painfully as Yuna towered over him, once again dressed in her regular white and pink garment. The fight was over. The Summoner had won. Shuyin was crumbled before her… broken… and unwilling to continue. He had been fighting for so long… now… he just wanted to find some peace… some quiet… and Lenne.

But all of it, every last ounce of it, was being kept from him. Yuna grievously remembered what the Fayth had told her earlier. That Shuyin was nothing more than a shade wanting merely to vanish… but finding himself unable to. It was heartbreaking… as so many things were in this cruel, hurtful world.

_We do this to ourselves…_ she thought sadly. An unanswered question returned to her then. One that she had asked herself after her concert… and was still struggling to determine. _If love always leaves us in such loneliness and misery, is it better not to love at all?_

He looked so sad. Yuna half expected him to start crying. If it had been _her_ Guardian…

But then… Shuyin wasn't her Guardian. He was Lenne's. And he wasn't shedding tears. Not from his eyes in any case. He _was_ crying… and bleeding… but just inside his heart.

Compassion can be more overwhelming than any other emotion felt by the human spirit… other than outright love. And Yuna felt it for him, then. Compassion so powerful that it burned. It hurt.

She started towards him in sorrow. "Shuyin!"

But when he looked up at her, his gaze brought her to a sudden halt. He wanted nothing from her. Nothing that she could give him, in any event. "Don't try to tell me you understand."

_But I do…_ Yuna shook her head sadly as that truth echoed around her. It echoed around her, even as _everything_ within her grew suddenly different in a single beat of the heart.

She inhaled deeply, gasping for breath as a presence began to fill up and up inside her, higher and higher, until it _completely_ overflowed. It surged out of her… it detached itself from her… disengaged… disconnected… leaving her feeling exposed and lonelier than she had ever felt in weeks.

In those last few days, she had been pretty lonely. But now… that part of her that had been sharing room another was empty again. And she felt isolated somehow… and _impossibly_ alone.

For standing there before her, between her and Shuyin, there was another woman who had, up until a moment ago, been resting dormant within her. She was dressed in the Songstress Garment, she had long, beautifully dark hair that touched her waist, and although Yuna couldn't see her face… she knew that the woman was most exquisite.

Rikku, Paine, and all the others watched in astonishment as the woman began to glow in a soft, golden light. Around her, there was a small congregation of pyreflies. These pyreflies, however… were not like the rest. They were calm. And gentle. Exactly the way that she was… Offering solace.

Only now, as her gaze cascaded over him for the first time in _far_ too long, did tears finally form in Shuyin's eyes. He shivered, breathing heavily, as hope and despair at once lit up on his heartbroken face. "Lenne?"

She didn't breathe a word, but covered the remaining distance between them. It was almost as if Shuyin couldn't _believe_ she was actually there… and that he was no longer alone. Despairing… Fearing… _Hating_ the thought that it might be just another torturous illusion, he weakly lifted up his arms at her approach, and tried striking out at her… tried pushing her away from him… tried to protect what was left of his shattered, but still beating, heart… Lenne, however… She just caught hold of his hands tenderly, and held them close to her with patience and with love.

Her touch was all that he needed. His face softened, and every harsh feature about him faded into nothing. Kneeling where he was on the ground before her, everything was, at last, _exactly_ how it should be. "Lenne."

"Hi there." Her voice was beautiful. It was more beautiful than Yuna had ever imagined, and tears fell down her own cheeks as Lenne's fingers intertwined with his.

He shook his head in regret. "A thousand years… and this moment is all we get?" _It wasn't fair… they deserved so much more._

But Lenne was radiating with happiness. "This moment's enough. I don't need anything else. Just knowing how you feel is enough. Shuyin. Let's end this. Let's go home."

He had been waiting one thousand years for this. But now… he tilted his head in concern, as if fearing it to be another lie. "Can we?"

Lenne released his fingers and touched his shoulders, never losing her tender smile. "That was all a thousand years ago. We've come too far to look back now. Rest, Shuyin. Rest with me."

He broke down, crying now as he hadn't before Lenne's appearance. She watched him affectionately, before pulling him closer to her and cradling his face in her arms as he continued to kneel before her. The pyreflies danced around them, and a breeze brushed back her hair. She ignored it, and lovingly stroked the back of his head.

"Let's go," she finally suggested. "I have a new song for you."

Together, the two of them began to fade. For those watching, it seemed bittersweet… and they couldn't help but feel touched. Especially Yuna. She could barely hold herself up. After everything that had happened… after a thousand years… they were finally together.

Presently, Lenne glanced over her shoulder and gazed at her fellow Summoner. She was transparent now… as was Shuyin… reminding Yuna terribly of her own lost love.

Lenne nodded. "Thank you."

And then she was gone. Gone forever. With Shuyin at her side at last.

**ooooooo**

"_Baralai? Baralai!"_

He could hear his name being repeated over and over again. The voice that kept speaking it… sounded _so_ familiar. He groaned… and then opened his eyes. For a moment, he could see nothing. But then… he perceived himself to be lying in part on the ground, with his head resting in Paine's lap.

He looked up at her in confusion, and then noticed Nooj and Gippal standing above her, watching him in open concern. He blinked. "What year is it?" Gradually, everything grew perceptible in his sight, and he noticed the High Summoner, and the three Syndicate members standing off to the side, though not _that_ far away. And _then_ he saw a little blonde girl… standing arm in arm with Gippal, of all people! He felt slightly dizzy. "Better question… what _planet_ is it?"

Paine smiled before helping Baralai to his feet. "It's all right. Now everything's the way it's supposed to be."

**ooooooo**

_Now everything's the way it's supposed to be._ Paine's words remained with Yuna the rest of the way out of that miserable abyss and back into the Farplane glen. Was is really? Could it be? Looking around at her companions, she realized that they all had someone. Who was it that she had? Just a dream? Just another memory?

She stopped in the middle of the glen, staring down at the flowers in dismay. The others sensed it and paused, looking back at her curiously.

"Are you coming Yunie?" Rikku asked, still clinging to Gippal's arm.

The Summoner considered for a moment, and then nodded. "I'll just be a minute. Go on ahead and I'll catch up."

After everything that she had done for them, it was a reasonable request. They started forward again, following Nooj's lead now, as they made their way back to the world of men. They had spent enough time – too much time – in this world of memories.

_Memories are nice,_ Yuna reminded herself. _But that's all they are. _It was a saying spoken by mother's people. By the Al Bhed. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Yuna was Al Bhed herself.

_I first met him here,_ she thought, turning in a circle to take in the sight of all the beautiful flowers, the majestic waterfalls, and the dancing colors in the sky. _This was where I first met Shuyin._ The overwhelming number of pyreflies had dispersed. The Farplane was safe again. It wasn't going to collapse from underneath them.

_Now everything's the way it's supposed to be._

Yuna sighed, staring up at the northern lights dancing in the sky, wondering if she would begin to cry again.

And then she felt someone… or rather she sensed him. He was walking towards her from behind, and though Yuna knew for a fact that he was there, she could not bring herself to turn around and face him.

He whistled, and Yuna's empty heart filled up again… even if only a little. A second later, his arms were wrapping around her from behind. They were falling across her shoulders, and pulling her close to his body – which she could most definitely _feel_… but knew did not exist.

"It's you…" she whispered, basking in his presence… living through his touch. He had only been gone for two years… she couldn't imagine being forced to wait for this moment any longer than that. Two years… it wasn't a thousand. But even still, it was much too long.

She could hear Shuyin's words replaying in her mind. _A thousand years, and this moment is all we get?_

But then… with her… even if she remained in Tidus's arms for all of eternity, at the end of it, she would still find that it had gone by too quickly. Eternity wasn't long enough. But then again… what was?

"_I don't need anything else. Just knowing how you feel is enough."_ Those were Lenne's words. Yuna knew she needed to accept them for herself as well.

She nodded. "You were with me the whole time." He saved her, after all, when she had been battling Shuyin. In fact, there had been many times on her journey when he had saved her. When it _had_ been him. And not his memory, or his dream. She smiled. "I kept thinking you might be. Kept hoping."

She paused for a moment, wishing desperately for him to speak. His father, Jecht, had spoken to her. She wished for once that he would follow his old man's example.

But when he didn't… she somehow accepted it. "But you know… I'm not worried anymore. You will always have a place… here in my heart. We'll always be connected."

The moment was fading, and Yuna's heart clenched as tears blurred her vision. There wasn't enough time! There _never_ was enough time! _Please don't go!_

But he did, in that same flood of golden green light as he had before. And Yuna was alone again. She closed her eyes, against her tears. "I love you."

She hoped that, wherever he was now, he could hear those words, for they were the only ones that mattered to her.

Turning, she made to start heading after Rikku, Paine, and the others again… when her gaze caught sight of a young boy in dark blue robes. The Fayth. She looked down at him in surprise.

He was nodding his head gratefully. "Thanks."

She smiled, bending down towards him in that way grown-ups often did in front of children. "You're very welcome." She quickly righted herself then, remembering that this boy was a Fayth, and that next to him, _she_ was the child.

But even still… he owed her. And he respected her… and even cared about her. After all, how could he not? He was an Aeon. But _she_ was his Summoner. He considered her for a moment, and then he knew. "You heard it, didn't you? You want to see him?"

Yuna's heart literally stopped in its place. Her face drained of all its color. Was this a dream? When she spoke… her voice was tentative. "Him?"

"Yes," the Fayth was not in jest. He was absolutely serious. "You want to walk together again?"

"Yes," Yuna stressed, as tears slid down her face again. That was all she had _ever_ wanted. That was all she had been searching for, ever since becoming a Gullwing. And then… even since _before_ becoming a Gullwing. That was what she had wanted, and that had been what she was fighting for. That was how she had been able to stand up to Shuyin. That was how she had been able to rescue Spira.

It all came back to _him_.

The Fayth nodded. "I can't promise anything. But we'll do what we can." With that said, he faded into nothing, and Yuna was once again left standing by herself deep within the Farplane.

**ooooooo**


	59. A Dream Come True

**ooooooo**

The Luca Stadium was alive that afternoon.

Normally famous for hosting the popular Blitzball tournaments, that day it was all for the address. The address that was to be given jointly by Meyvn Nooj, Praetor Baralai, and Gippal. There was to be peace in Spira again – that was what _everyone_ was saying! New Yevon… the Youth League… the Machine Faction… what happened next in the world would ultimately depend on that one afternoon.

The three men were standing together in the open balcony high above the rest – so that everyone could see them. Once upon a time, that balcony had been designed for the Maesters of Yevon. But that time had passed. Now, there were banners hanging for _all_ the people. For _all_ the world. And every seat in the stadium was _filled_ by such people… who were looking only to the future… and the other roads ahead of them.

Presently, three microphones were set up and turned on. Behind them, the three men stood, with Nooj in the middle and his two closest friends on either side of him. They were a team again. Sole survivors of a brutal massacre. After making it through _that_… they could make it through anything.

"Once," Nooj spoke into the center microphone, and the crowd that had gathered to hear him speak grew still, listening, hanging on to every word that echoed over the arena. "My friends and I dreamed of flying. We would set sail on a ship, with me as its captain." He paused and glanced sideways at Gippal, who was nodding his head up and down in an innocent but distracting way. Nooj smiled. "In time, I became that captain. I found a new ship with new friends. My ship was the Youth League."

About half the people in that stadium cheered, and Nooj took a satisfied step back, nodding at Baralai.

The young man stepped forward. "Others chose a different captain. Their boat was New Yevon."

There were even more cheering, as the remainder of the audience gave their applause.

And Gippal stepped forward, displaying his own air of casual confidence that had won the hearts of so many of his own people. "You know, I realize I'm like a lot of you people. We _want_ a captain. And we want a ship to ride, but more important than that… Really, we all want to ride together."

Everyone seemed to be clapping now, for that _was_ how most of them felt.

Baralai glanced at Gippal, and the Al Bhed gestured for him to speak. The Praetor looked back out into the audience. "There are some things you can't do alone. But they become easy with friends beside you." Gippal smirked, and nodded.

Nooj stepped forward. "This was the lesson that we learned when we launched those ships."

"It was about power," Baralai put in, his voice growing somber. Everything in the stadium was affected by that. Everyone stared up at him solemnly as he looked back down in guilt. "And we misused that power. We turned our friends and followers against each other."

There was a pause.

And then Nooj broke it. "Forgive us."

Hushed whisperings broke out through the crowd as everyone contemplated the meaning of this unexpected apology. They did not know what to do with it. Two years ago… when the Maesters had governed… public apologies were unheard of. And no matter how much one might _desire_ to move forward… there would always be minor details like these that would make such progression difficult.

And yet… what progression could there ever be without adversity of some kind?

Baralai shrugged, recapturing the audience's attention. "Somehow we forgot. There's a much larger ship out there. One we've been riding ever since we were born. That ship is Spira."

And the applause to _that_ was deafening.

Nooj smiled. "No one knows just where our voyage will lead us. But we _do _know one thing. One way or another, we _will_ get by. We'll go on living. The Calm will continue."

The crowd kept on cheering, and in a display of respect, humility, and genuine sincerity, Nooj and Baralai both bent at their waists, bowing to the very people whom they led. And as they moved together – in perfect harmony, no less – Gippal stared at them in surprise. Realizing a moment too late that _he_ should probably follow their lead as well, he hastened to catch up – though _that_ only resulted in making him look more flustered than elegant and poised, as his two companions both undeniably were. Somewhere in the audience, the Al Bhed felt absolutely _certain_ that some_one_ was laughing at him.

But it didn't matter. He and Baralai both glanced at their captain in perfect satisfaction as they all righted themselves. At that time, however, Nooj had something else on his mind entirely, and he looked at the Al Bhed and nodded. Together, he and Baralai backed away, allowing Gippal a chance to make up for his most recent miscalculation. Besides, _their_ time in the spotlight had already passed.

Gippal leaned in towards the mike with an impish smile on his face. "Just one more thing. We all owe thanks to a very special lady." He laughed quietly at the exuberant response given to _that_ remark. For no one in Spira had _ever_ been applauded louder than the bringer of that beloved Calm. "Yeah, you all know who I'm talking about! We really hoped she could be here today."

Silently, he thought back to that morning, when she _had_ been there in Luca.

_The six of them had all been standing on the docks together, with the Celsius hovering over the water. Gippal and Rikku had already given each other their goodbyes, as had Paine with all three of the men. Now, it was Yuna, standing in the center of their small little gathering._

_There was a faraway look in her eyes as she gazed out to sea. The choices that were before her now… she felt so free… but there was only one thing she wanted to do._

_Hopping around, she faced the three men in excitement with her hands held behind her back. "It's time for me to go home!" She looked back at Rikku and Paine, both of whom were nodding their approval._

_Skipping over to them, they enthusiastically high fived each other, and proceeded towards the airship. They were Gullwings, after all. And they always would be._

Gippal beamed. "She left a message. She said she's going home. So farewell. But not goodbye."

As he spoke those last three words, the Celsius itself suddenly emerged, rising up from beyond the stadium wall and making for the sky. Everyone in Luca turned their heads up to watch it in fascination. It was famous now… and they all knew its name.

And as it proceeded forward, Brother's voice resonated out for all to hear from its loud speaking 'macrophone.' "See you next time, kiddies! Yeehaw!" It sped across the sky, racing over the sea, and sailing into the horizon.

Together, Yuna, Rikku, and Paine were all kneeling outside, on its deck, with the wind in their faces and the sun shining down warmly on their backs. It was too gorgeous a day for them to be huddled inside. Out here… they were free. And Spira had never seemed more _full_ of possibilities anywhere else.

Presently, Rikku glanced over at her companions, lifting her hand up off the deck to shield her face as she spoke. "Did we really have to leave like this? Just _think_ of the _party_ we're missing!"

"Hmph," Paine shook her head, smiling. "I think we party enough, don't you?" Rikku bit her lip, trying to keep from grinning _too_ broadly. It proved to be quite difficult – as she was in an _extremely_ happy mood.

And so was Yuna. "Brother!" she called out over the wind. "Higher!"

"Roger!" Brother called out through the macrophone as he sat in his pilot's chair from within the ship's cockpit. He lifted it higher up towards the azure sky.

"Brother!" Yuna shouted again. "Faster!"

"Roger!" he would obey her every word, sending the Celsius blasting forwards… and onward forevermore into the future.

Yuna was laughing. "I can't hear you!"

"ROGERRRRR!" he called back, holding the last syllable out for as long as he could until he absolutely had to breathe. Rikku and Paine both rolled their eyes, but Yuna was joyous.

She lifted her face up towards the sun, soaking in its warmth. She closed her eyes, smiled, and practically glowed.

So much had happened! And… she _knew_ it was _only_ the beginning. Through the smiles and the tears, through the anger… and the laughter that followed, she knew she'd keep on changing. Forever.

"This is _my_ story. It'll be a good one."

**ooooooo**

Everything was black.

It had _always_ been black… black and wet. Warm… soft… comfortable. Almost like sleeping… almost like dreaming… But never-changing. And never-ending. It was a void. With no concept of time or life at all.

And always… _always_… was it black.

That was what made the change so unusual. It happened once… in the midst of all that blackness… where something bright began to shine. First it shined white, in stark contrast to black. But then… a kind of tail formed behind it, in which color began to appear. Purple… blue… green… indigo… they radiated in a stream behind what was now recognized as a little floating bubble.

A pyrefly.

It danced gradually through the blackness, only to be joined by a fellow pyrefly moments later. They circled around each other, in small circles at first, but then, steadily growing farther and farther apart. And in-between the two of them, a light shined dimly through the darkness, revealing a forgotten dream.

He had been sitting huddled there, in the blackness of the void, for as long as the void could remember. His arms were wrapped around his legs, and his face was buried in his knees. And he was still dressed in that same uniform worn by the Zanarkand Abes in that dream… that someone had dreamed… at some time… the void couldn't think of when.

The pyreflies danced around him in that large circle for some while, making absolutely certain that _this_ was the right dream. And once they were confident that it was, they floated down to him, and softly touched him with the wondrous hues of their enchanting light.

For these were no ordinary pyreflies. They would make a dream come true.

Slowly, he lifted his head and looked up. Feeling somewhat stiff, he reached out his arms and stretched. It was the most satisfying sensation he had ever felt before. And then… he opened his eyes and realized… He was in the water…

A grin broke out on his face and he started for the surface. There were no longer any signs of the pyreflies, and he had already quite forgotten about their presence. He was a part of the world again! He could touch… and feel… and breathe! Or rather in this case… drown.

He swam faster, working the muscles that had been neglected for far too long. And then…!

He broke the surface, breeching up towards the sky as water splashed around him and as the taste of salt snuck into his mouth. Quickly, he put two of his fingers into that same mouth, enjoying the feel of their tangibility, as he whistled loudly. The sun was warm that afternoon, and the sky had never been a brighter sapphire. It was perfect weather for his first day back.

Treading silently in the water, he glanced around for any sign of land. When he saw the island, and recognized it as Besaid, a sense of déjà vu struck him pretty close to home, but he didn't mind. He _wanted_ to go home. And Besaid… that was where Yuna was.

_Yuna_…

Tidus fell backwards, floating over the water as he stared up at what few clouds there actually were hovering above him in that tranquil sky. The waves rocked him gently back and forth, and he grew so relaxed he thought he might fall asleep again.

But then… he _probably_ wouldn't be going back to sleep _any_ time soon.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Tidus began to breaststroke towards shore. The Aurochs weren't on the beach that day. So he'd just have to wait a _little _while longer to play some more Blitzball. _That_ wasn't what really bothered him, though.

He didn't think he'd be able to _stand_ waiting any longer for a chance to see Yuna again.

The water gradually became shallow enough for him to stand, and he started wading towards shore, looking in every direction for any sign of life. But other than the _plant_ life, he couldn't pinpoint anyone.

Biting his lip, he paused, still in the water, but feeling somewhat lonely. Where was everyone? He wanted to see Yuna! He had whistled for her, hadn't he? Then she would come. He had to have faith that she would. After all, they had promised each other…

At that moment, sure enough, as if precisely on cue, an enormous red airship appeared in the distance. Tidus looked up at it, and once again something in his heart began to stir. This time, it spread throughout his entire body, leaving him tingling in sudden anticipation.

Slowly, he walked along through the water, staring up at that ship as the sunlight bathed down and reflected off his face and golden hair. He smiled, somehow able to just… sense her. Feel her presence. She was there.

The airship seemed to be plummeting out of the sky. It landed, crashing into the water and sending little tsunamis pouring everywhere. Tidus found himself maneuvering out of the way as best he could – for the airship was practically on top of him now.

But it didn't alarm him – or even _bother _him! A thrill was coursing through him that he just couldn't cast aside. It stemmed from the ecstasy of simply _being_, and from the joy and hope and anticipation that was building up and up on top of each other, stretching towards the sky – and not even stopping there.

The main mouth of the airship was opening – even though it had once again risen up out of the water and was now hovering a good ten yards up. And standing in the threshold was Yuna herself.

When Tidus caught sight of her, a large grin broke out on his face. But Yuna… she wasn't smiling. There was a look of urgency to her expression that had to be put to rest before she could ever smile again. And if she didn't quench that sudden, unexpected burst of _hunger_, she was _sure_ she would starve to death in a matter of seconds.

Therefore, she couldn't wait for the Celsius to land, or even for its enormous door to fully open. She climbed out, slid down, and then leapt the rest of the way. Water splashed all around her, and it _was_ somewhat cold, but she didn't notice. Tears were in her eyes as she watched Tidus turning more completely towards her – all the while scrambling towards him for all she was worth. It felt like… they couldn't reach each other fast enough.

She threw her arms around him, and he caught her firmly. They embraced, standing there in the water as the Celsius finished parking in a more conventional manner.

They embraced, as the world spun around them.

They embraced, as Wakka and everyone else in Besaid received a message over the commsphere to get to the beach as quickly as humanly possible.

They embraced, as Rikku and Paine stood together on the ramp the led both into and out of the airship – from which Yuna had jumped off of.

Even during and after Paine's initial shock at seeing the man who wore Shuyin's face, he and Yuna continued to cling to one another as if nothing else held them to that world.

Finally, they pulled apart, though only far enough to look at each other – their hands remained firmly resting on each others' shoulders.

"Are you for real?" Yuna asked, when she finally had her voice back – though even _then_ it trembled in nervous wonder.

He nodded. "I think so." He waited as she carefully looked him over. Her eyes, he noticed, seemed brighter and livelier than he had ever seen them before. He smiled. "Do I pass?"

She looked down for a moment, letting her arms drop to her sides. _Did he pass? He had no _idea_ how much he passed!_ She nodded, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes again. They were together! That one moment in the Farplane had blossomed into this! The Fayth had kept his word and she… she could live happily ever after.

She looked back up at him, and smiled. Her urgency was put to rest. Her hunger was satisfied. _He_ was here. Her Guardian was here. Her dream had come true. "You're back."

He nodded in that knowing way of his. "I _am_ back. I'm home."

_Home._ His home had always been Zanarkand. Now… he called it Besaid. She couldn't express in words the emotions streaming through her very soul.

He pulled her close to him then, wrapping his arms around the back of her neck. He held her there, and Yuna never wanted him to let her go.

"Welcome home," she whispered, bringing up her own arms to hold him back. Her breathing grew jagged, as she tried to hold back her joyous sobs. "Yes… home…"

Back on the ramp, Rikku had tears in her eyes as well. Paine was watching with surprising good humor, considering everything Shuyin had put them through, but Rikku could honestly not remember the last time she had ever been so happy. It was all she could do not to sprint down there and into Tidus's arms herself – thus spoiling the reunion for her cousin.

She should have predicted that Wakka would end up doing that for her anyways. He and the others had all arrived at the beach, and were now witnessing the scene in pure astonishment.

But then Wakka smiled and, taking a few steps forward, began shouting at them. "Hey! Get a room, you two!"

Caught off guard, Yuna and Tidus both pulled away from each and looked towards the shore in surprise.

But then Wakka smirked and winked. "Wassup?"

Yuna's mouth opened slightly in anticipation as Tidus rolled his eyes and waved a hand at his fellow Blitzball playing Guardian in feigned exasperation. "Who asked you to watch, Wakka?"

But then his eyes fell on Lulu, and he beheld the baby that she was holding in her arms. His mouth literally dropped open in surprise, and the Black Mage smiled. He glanced over at Yuna questioningly. "When…?"

Her smile widened, even as Rikku's sense of self discipline wore out.

She ran the rest of the way down the ramp, waving her arm wildly above her head as she bounced up and down on her feet. "Hiya!"

Tidus waved back when he saw her, grinning widely. This day… it was _all_ he could have asked for.

"Come on!" Yuna took his hand in hers and nodded towards the shoreline. "There's people you have to meet!" They started running together then, towards Wakka, Lulu, and the rest of the Besaiders.

But at one point, she actually pulled ahead of him, dragging him along behind her for a change, instead of the other way around. He laughed as he nearly tripped over the very waves of the water beneath him. Yuna glanced back at him and when their gazes caught, they both smiled.

"You know, you've changed," he told her lightly.

She nodded. "Well, you've missed a few things!" _That_ was something of an understatement. Tidus sensed that much, and gazed at her thoughtfully.

"I wanna hear all about it," he finally informed her.

Yuna smiled, happier than she had ever _dreamed_ of being in her life. "Well. It all began when I saw this sphere of you."

**ooooooo**


	60. Epilogue

**ooooooo**

It was reaching dusk in the Zanarkand Ruins, and the sun was beginning to set. It set in a calm, golden glow… as it always had there. But Yuna was especially grateful for it that evening. Everything was quiet… and peaceful… And she could spend it with _him_ for as long as she wanted to. For as long as she _needed _to, in order to assure herself that this wasn't all a dream.

They were standing together on a little outcrop that looked out over the sea surrounding Zanarkand. Yuna was behind him, watching him as he watched the horizon. They had spent the entire day talking about their pasts… and their memories…

One thousand memories…

But it was okay. The Gullwings had determined their roads would each stretch before them and not behind. But as Nooj had always believed… it was the past that shaped the future. And it _was_ okay thinking back on it every once and awhile… especially when you had someone to share it with.

"I have a theory," Tidus suddenly proclaimed, glancing back at Yuna over his shoulder. "I think maybe the Fayth gathered up my thoughts and put 'em together to bring me back."

Yuna stared at him silently, considering. It was the first time since their reunion that either one of them had addressed the issue of his return. Because it was a frightening issue. They didn't know how long Tidus would be allowed to remain in Spira.

"Maybe…" he whispered, looking back out to sea. "Something like that." Yuna didn't say a word, but just kept on watching him think in content. He shrugged. "Or maybe… I'm _still_ a dream."

It hurt… but Yuna found herself asking anyway… the one question she feared the most. "Are you going to disappear?"

He hesitated, and then looked back at her sadly. "Cherish me, Yuna. And I'll cherish you. All right? We gotta stay together." He looked back out into the sunset. "That's what we have to do."

She smiled happily and rushed towards him, throwing her arms around him again and embracing his back. "Is that what the Fayth told you?"

"Nah," Tidus shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at her calmly. "But I like it."

She nodded, breathing him in. And she found that… not even the fragrance of the flowers in the Farplane could compare to him. He was perfect.

Smiling, she ran her hands across his back… and then pushed. Tidus cried out in surprise as he suddenly toppled over the edge of the outcrop and fell into the water below. There was an audible splash, and Yuna giggled.

He rose up quickly and shook the water out of his golden hair. And then he stared up at her with a raised fist. "That's not cherishing!"

She shook her head, savoring this peaceful bliss. "You didn't disappear."

She was right, Tidus admitted, regarding her admiringly. She hadn't changed as much as he had originally thought, after all. She was always the same old Yuna. He had fallen in love with the Yuna who had raced up the steps of the Temple in Kilika two years ago against Wakka. He had fallen in love with the Yuna who had, according to Kimahri, jumped off the back of a shoopuf _several_ times for the sheer enjoyment of it. He had fallen in love with the Yuna who could now live in happiness, and wasn't burdened with anymore thoughts of Sin or Final Summonings.

She had found a _lot_ of such happiness in the last two years. But in the last few weeks, she had found a lot of pain, and heartache, as well. She had told him about her struggle with Shuyin and Vegnagun… and Tidus honestly didn't know what to think… about bearing a resemblance to that other man.

But what he _did_ know, beyond a doubt, was that he loved Yuna. And he always would. _That_ much would never change.

He lifted his arms up towards the sky and stretched. And he was thankful to be back.

As Yuna was, to have him back. She remained standing on that little hill, gazing out into the sunset over Zanarkand for as long as she could, before nightfall set in. One day, she thought, this moment would make a beautiful memory. But it would only be one memory out of many.

If even a _fraction_ of those many memories made her as happy as this one did… than Yuna longed for the chance to make them. And for the chance to live them with Tidus _always_ at her side. It was _their_ story now. And it was only just beginning.

**ooooooo**

**A/N:** See? I knew I'd finish! I only hope it meets everyone's expectations – it certainly met mine. I've already written the novelization to FFVII, and if you ask me, I did a lot better writing _this_ novel than I did writing _that_ one. But for those of you who haven't reviewed, please do and let me know what you think. And for those of you who _have_, thank you _so_ much! It's really motivational getting positive feedback, _especially_ for pieces I've worked this hard on and care so much about. It's been fun… and I don't know what I'm gonna do with my mornings anymore… Sometimes, ending a work of fiction can be bittersweet in itself. So! Keep reviewing! And thanks so much! LOL!

Janiqua


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